Bound To You

Chapter 12 - I'm Doing It For You

Derek went back to Orlando for a while. He said that he had some things to take care before the wedding. I didn't ask any questions. I just wanted him gone.

There was a knock on my hotel room door and I went to answer it. Roman stood on the other side. I tried to shut the door but he stopped it.

"What do you want Roman?" I asked.

"I just want to talk to you." he said.

I sighed. "Five minutes." I said letting him inside. Once he was inside, I shut the door.

***

DEAN, NIKKI AND BRIE

Dean was pacing around while Nikki and Brie were trying to contact Lauren's parents. It was a little hard to find but they had to do it.

"Hello?" Lauren's mom asked answering the phone.

"Hi. This is Lauren's friend Nicole. I was hoping to talk to you for a second." Nikki said.

"Whatever about?"

"It's about Derek. I know you think you picked a good guy for your daughter but you need to know something."

***

"What do you want to talk about?" I asked Roman.

"Our daughter." he said.

"How do you know about that?" I asked.

"Nikki and Brie told me. The question is, why didn't you?"

"I couldn't find you." I lied.

"Don't give me that." he paused. "I know about Derek hitting you."

***

"Okay? Tell me." Lauren's mom said.

"Derek is hitting your daughter. My sister and I saw it with our own eyes." Nikki said.

Lauren's mom chuckled. "Listen, Nicole, I understand you don't come from the same kind of family that Derek does so I'll let it slide that you don't think he's good enough for my daughter but don't go spreading lies about my daughter's fiancee."

"No wait. It's not a lie. I can prove it. just give me a chance." Nikki pleaded.

***

"Let me guess. Nikki and Brie told you?" I asked.

"Who else?" he asked.

"Roman, I can't talk about this right now." I said.

"Why not? You have time to talk to Dean and Nikki and Brie. Why won't you talk to me?"

"Because I can't. If Derek finds out, who knows what's in store for me."

"So he does hit you?"

"I didn't say that." I said.

"You didn't have to." he said.

I sat down on the couch and Roman sat down beside me.

"I know I didn't give you a chance to explain yourself the night I broke up with you and it has been hell for me the past few months watching you with him and sitting back knowing I can't do anything." he paused. "Just tell me, why are you with him?"

"I can't explain." I said.

"Oh great. You can't explain? Seriously?"

"I don't want to be with him. I want to be with you."

"Then why are you with him?" he asked.

"For you. I'm with him for you." I yelled.

***

"I'm listening. How can you prove this?" Lauren's mom asked.

"I can record it. I can video tape it and then show it to you." Nikki said.

"I don't believe you dear. It's very easy for you to set all of this up. Derek is a wonderful man and my daughter is the luckiest girl. She's also happy too. Now if you're really her friend, why would you want to ruin her happiness?"

"She's not happy. Why can't you, her own mother, see that? She isn't happy because you and her father try to control her life like you're living vicariously through her. It doesn't work that way. You had your own life. You lived it. Let her live her own life the way she wants to." Nikki said.

"I'm hanging up now. Don't call this number again and don't contact me about Derek and my daughter. They are wonderfully happy. Goodbye." Lauren's mother said. She hung up.

Nikki groaned in frustration and then turned to Dean. "This isn't working the way Roman said it would. A mother and a father should be worried about their child's safety. They don't seem at all concerned." she said.

"I think I have an idea. We just have to wait until Derek is back." Dean said.

***

"Don't use me as your excuse. You're not with him for me and you know it. You're with him because he's rich and because your parents set you up with him but guess what Lauren. You're a big girl now. You can stick up for yourself. It's time to grow up." Roman said.

"It's not as simple as that. There's things that you don't know. Things you won't understand." I said.

"Then explain them to me. I'm sure I could keep up." he said.

"You don't understand. I can't. I can't tell you anything Roman. Just know that I love you with all my heart and I'm doing this for you." I said.

"Lauren, please."

"Roman, no more. Please. Just go."

"Okay." he said.

He got up and walked out the door. That was the first time I had talked to him in about four months. It broke my heart to have to keep this secret from him but I couldn't risk him dying because of me. That would break my heart more than anything in this world.