Roman and Julienne's heart desire
Chapter 48: Their closeness

Chapter 48: Their closeness

"Are you alright?" Roman asked, watching Julie as she sat at the edge of the bed, her shoulders hunched and her gaze distant.

"Yes, I’m fine," she replied, bobbing her leg up and down restlessly.

Though she said she was fine, Roman didn’t buy it. Something in her eyes told a different story. He moved closer without saying another word.

Gently, he wrapped his arms around her from behind, his hands finding her waist with practiced care.

She tensed for a moment, still not entirely used to the tenderness he sometimes showed—but she didn’t pull away.

Julie shifted slightly, her body language uncertain. She was slowly warming up to Roman, but the closeness, the affection, the way he held her like she was precious... it was still something she was learning to accept.

"Come on," Roman said, resting his chin lightly on her shoulder. "Tell me what’s bothering you."

"You really want to know?" she asked, turning her head slightly to look at him.

"Of course I want to know," Roman replied, his voice low and husky, eyes locked on hers with a rare softness. The kind of look that made her wonder—

Why are you so good to me, Roman?

Julie took a breath, her voice barely above a whisper. "I want to go back to school. There are still six months left before I graduate."

Roman blinked. Of all the things he thought she might say, that wasn’t on the list.

She continued before he could speak. "Now that things are finally calm, and the danger’s passed... I’ve started thinking about it again. About finishing. About my future."

She paused and let out a quiet sigh.

"But I don’t have the money. No transport, no tuition, no savings. I don’t even know how I’d manage basic supplies. And I hate that it matters so much."

Her voice cracked slightly at the end, and Roman felt something tighten in his chest.

He didn’t interrupt. He didn’t tell her it would be okay or offer empty reassurances.

He just held her tighter, like she might drift away if he didn’t anchor her there.

Roman stared at her in silence for a moment. Julie’s eyes shimmered with something unspoken—fear, maybe. Or hesitation.

The thought of going back to school was a dream she’d buried beneath survival and chaos.

Now that things were finally calming, it was beginning to resurface like a flower blooming after a long frost.

"Why didn’t you tell me this before?" he asked softly, brushing a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

His voice wasn’t accusing. Just curious. Gentle.

Julie glanced down at her hands, fidgeting with her fingers. "Because I didn’t think it mattered. There were... bigger things. And we are not close enough to tell you such. You had your empire to manage. I didn’t want to sound silly bringing up textbooks and classrooms."

Roman’s arms, still wrapped around her waist, tightened slightly, not in a restricting way—but like he was trying to shield her from every doubt she ever had.

"It’s not silly," he whispered near her ear. "It’s everything. If it matters to you, it matters to me."

Julie swallowed hard. Her throat felt tight. The last few weeks had been a strange blend of peace and confusion.

She was safe, finally, but safety didn’t erase the weight of the past. Of the dreams put on hold.

She shifted slightly, and Roman, understanding her body language without a word, adjusted with her.

He leaned back on the bed, gently pulling her with him.

She resisted for a second—still not used to this level of softness from him—but he tugged again, and this time, she allowed herself to sink.

She lay back against his chest. His arms wrapped around her fully, and she felt his chin rest on top of her head.

His heartbeat was steady beneath her cheek, like a grounding rhythm.

"I don’t even know where to start," she mumbled.

Roman brushed his fingers up and down her arm, slow and rhythmic. "Start with what you want. Just that."

Julie sighed. "I want to finish school. I want to sit in a classroom again. I want to write essays and fail tests and get angry over group projects."

Roman chuckled softly at that, and she smiled despite herself.

"I want to be normal," she added, her voice smaller.

There it was. The truth.

Roman kissed the crown of her head, not saying anything at first.

Just holding her tighter, his hands sliding up to rest just under her ribs, fingertips lightly grazing the fabric of her shirt.

"Julie," he murmured against her hair, "if going back to school is what will make you feel like yourself again... then you will go back. I don’t care how many mountains I have to move. You won’t worry about transport or fees or anything. I’ll handle it."

Her eyes welled up instantly. She hadn’t even let herself hope for that.

"But I don’t want to be dependent on you forever," she whispered. "I want to stand on my own. I need to. For me."

Roman tilted her chin up gently until her eyes met his. "Then we’ll get you there. You’ll stand on your own, I swear it. But let me help you get to that point. Let me be here... just until your wings are ready again."

Julie didn’t reply. She simply turned slightly and pressed her face into his chest, allowing the tears to slip down her cheek silently.

Roman said nothing, only tightened his hold, rocking her gently like she was something breakable and sacred.

The room was quiet, save for the distant hum of the city through the window.

His hand never stopped moving—tracing slow patterns along her back, fingers occasionally tangling in her hair.

It wasn’t the kind of touch that sought anything but closeness.

It was just... comfort. The kind of comfort she hadn’t known in years.

"Can I tell you something?" Roman said suddenly.

"Hmm?"

"I’ve never held someone like this before."

Julie blinked. "Like this how?"

"Like I don’t want to let go."

Her breath hitched. She lifted her head and saw the sincerity in his face—unguarded, vulnerable.

"Roman..." she said, unsure of what to say next.

She call his name slowly for the first time and it all thanks to his grandma Lisa.

Roman who heard his name being called by her feel his heart brighten and he smile.

And the next second he kissed her before she had to answer—just once, soft and deep, the kind of kiss that said I see you more clearly than anyone else ever has.

As l and then he pulled her closer still, shifting until she was tucked completely into his side, her leg resting over his.

She laughed faintly. "You know I can’t breathe like this."

"You’ll get used to it," he smirked, eyes closed now, but the teasing was light. Tender.

"I’m serious," she said, poking him in the ribs.

"And I’m serious too," he murmured. "Get used to being loved."

Julie went quiet at that. The words wrapped around her tighter than his arms did.

"You’re not used to being loved, are you?" Roman asked gently.

She shook her head, barely perceptible.

"I don’t know how to... receive it sometimes," she admitted.

He ran a hand down her spine, slow and steady. "Then I’ll teach you. Bit by bit. We’ve got time."

They lay there for a while, wrapped around each other, the kind of silence that wasn’t empty—but full.

The room held their breathing, their warmth, the closeness of two people learning how to exist together.

Julie eventually closed her eyes, letting herself relax fully.

It was the first time in weeks that her muscles stopped bracing for the next thing. Roman noticed the shift in her immediately.

"See?" he said, brushing his lips against her temple. "This is what it feels like to be home."

She smiled softly, half-asleep. "You feel like home."

And Roman didn’t respond. He only held her tighter, because that was the kind of sentence he’d carry forever.

A little while later...

Roman glanced at the clock. It was past midnight, but he wasn’t tired.

He couldn’t stop thinking about what she said—about school, about her independence. He knew she was serious.

And he loved that about her. She wasn’t asking him to save her. She just wanted the chance to save herself.

Carefully, he shifted, reaching for his phone without disturbing her.

She was curled up against him, breathing steady, cheek pressed against his shoulder.

He sent a quick message to his assistant:

Find out which schools in the city offer mid-year intakes. I need scholarship options too. The best ones. Quiet, no media. Understood?

The reply came within seconds.

On it, sir. Discreet. I’ll have the list in the morning.

Roman put the phone away and turned his attention back to Julie. She stirred slightly as he tucked a blanket over her shoulders.

"Go back to sleep," he whispered.

"Mmhmm," she hummed, not fully awake. "Still here?"

"Always," he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead.

Then he lay back and watched her sleep. The tension on her face had faded.

Her hands were no longer clenched in fists like they used to be. She was safe. And now, she had a future again.

And Roman would make sure of it—no matter what it took.