For Worse or For Better- Book #6 in the WF Series

Chapter 31: Secret

♡ Alaiya's POV: ♡

Roman lays on top of me, my arms tightly around him as he rests on my boobs like pillows.

After that nightmare he had which drained him a lot, he decided that his last birthday present would be us just talking in bed while we cuddled. I asked him if he was sure that's all he wanted since I can make him some type of dessert or we could plan something for later that he really wants to do like a little trip or something. He said no to that.

I'm pretty sure it's because even though he enjoyed everyone's company and was very thankful for them being so sweet, his nightmare won't let him stop thinking back to that night with his mom.

I've been giving him a head massage for about an hour now. He hasn't said a word this entire time and it's worrying me.

The silence finally breaks with words that I was not expecting.

"I think I'm going to start talking to a therapist," his voice is so quiet that I think I may have heard wrong, but I know I didn't.

He lifts his head when he doesn't get a direct response from me because I have to process those words.

"Are you...are you sure you're ready?"

I'm so proud! I am literally the proudest freaking person in this entire world! Do you know how hard it is for a person that went through what Roman went through to talk about it? I can't even put it into words because I don't think extremely difficult would slightly suffice.

"I think it would help control the nightmares and not make me feel like complete shit on my own birthday."

"Can I ask you something and will you be completely honest with me?" I confirm because I need the truth.

He nods.

"Did you decide to do this because you still believe that you're bothering me?"

I know what it's like to feel like you're dumping all your problems onto one person, but in reality, a relationship can only survive that way. I'm not talking about guilt-tripping someone by using your problems against them. I mean sharing what those problems are because when you're in a relationship, your problems are the other person's and vice versa. I want Roman to be able to come to me about anything because I want him to have that kind of trust in me, just like I have with him. I'm not saying that he has to, but I would like him to at his own free will.

"I did," he admits first. "But then I realized that maybe the therapist could help me open up to you more."

I smile at that because it makes me feel like he actually has trust in me, he just doesn't know how to speak about what happened without panicking.

"I'm proud of you, I hope you know that." I kiss the top of his head, his shampoo scent coming in through my nose and feeling wonderful.

It goes silent again when Roman puts his head back against my chest, my fingers going back into his hair.

"I have another question." I stop the quietness this time.

"Mhmm?"

"Do you ever get the urge to bite me?"

Okay, hear me out. Sometimes, Roman is just so cute or I feel like I love him so much that I just have the urge to bite him. It's normal, I think. It's like when our kids are being so cute that I just want to squeeze their cheeks or hug them super tightly.

His head turns around slowly towards me, shocked that I would ever ask that.

"You need therapy more than I do." He lays back down, leaving my mouth hanging open at that comment.