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“Do you want to get some breakfast?” Chloe propped herself up in bed, leaning on her side while her head rested in her hands.
“Nope.” Roman had his back turned away from her. She watched, captivated by his muscles. He was perfectly cut, ripped in all the right places. He was her carved drummer god.
“No?” She quizzed. “Coffee? Anything?”
Roman’s favorite meal of the day was usually breakfast.
“I’m not hungry.” He spun around to face her as he pulled a gray t-shirt over his head. He gave her a fuzzy smile, but his expression was cloudy and vague.
“Oh.” Chloe pulled the covers up over her naked body. “Well do you mind if I go get something to eat with Emelia?”
Roman narrowed his eyes as if he were suddenly suspicious of Chloe’s request. “Where?”
She shrugged. “Just downstairs I guess.”
“It’s fine, whatever you want to do.” Roman plucked his wallet from the bedside table, along with his phone.
He shoved them both into the back pockets of his jeans. His hair was still damp around the edges from where he had just gotten out of the shower. They had enjoyed a hot and spicy romp in the bed right before.
Chloe’s legs were still wobbly and wavy from the intense heat of sex with Roman. He had a profound effect on her. She was still glowing in the aftermath of orgasm and propelling downwards from her climb into the sky of sexual bliss.
She noticed that Roman’s hands were shaking. Why was he so jittery and jumpy? His demeanor was distant, almost aloof. She was weary to ask him what was bothering him because she didn’t know if he might snap at her. She didn’t want to ruin the peaceful moment between them that always came after their amazing sex.
Whatever the reason for his odd behavior she decided to push it to the back of her mind and let it go. Perhaps he was just anxious about tonight being the last show. The end of each tour was stressful and difficult for everyone involved.
There were tons of things to iron out and wrap up. People’s moods could shift at the drop of a hat without any provocation. It was an emotional time. The tide ebbed and flowed. Everyone was exhausted and ready to go home, but at the same time, nostalgia sunk in and reality hit. They wouldn’t see each other every day, and there would be no more adoring fans shouting from sweaty arenas every night.
“I’m going to meet with Burt and the rest of the guys to discuss tonight’s show ending,” he mentioned in a flat, monotoned voice as he leaned over the edge of the bed to gently kiss the top of Chloe’s forehead. Then, without another word, he silently went out the door without glancing back.
Chloe hurtled her legs over the edge, tossing herself out of bed. She raised her hands above her head in frustration. “Okay...” she said to the empty air. “See you later then.”
She got dressed and met Emelia downstairs for coffee at a quaint and charming little bakery that was attached to the hotel’s lobby.
Chloe ordered a latte and a blueberry scone, plopping down into the little bistro seat across from Emelia with a heavy sigh.
“Is everything alright?” Emelia gave her a smile through curious eyes as she took a sip of her own coffee, always black with no cream or sugar.
“I guess.” Chloe glanced out the window with a vacant expression, watching the traffic go by. “Roman is just acting a little weird this morning.” She trusted Emelia and valued her opinion and advice. She never held back with her best friend. She always tried to remain open and honest, keeping the perspective as real as it got.
“Weird?” Emelia made a sour face. “Like how?”
Chloe shrugged. “Just kind of distant this morning. We had sex, and then he started acting reserved after that.”
“Hmm.” Emelia pressed her lips together, pondering. “Did he take off for the meeting with Burt and the other guys?”
Chloe nodded. “Yep.” She plucked a piece of the top of the muffin into her mouth, but strangely enough in her hazy state of mind, it didn’t have much of a taste.
“I wouldn’t worry about it.” Emelia waved her hand dismissively, briefly closing her eyes.
“Really?” There was a ring of hope in Chloe’s voice as she sat up straight.
“No,” Emelia propped her elbow on the table. “He’s probably just stressed out about tonight being the last show. Trevor was kind of jittery this morning too before he left.”
Chloe allowed her shoulders to slack with relief. “Thank you for saying that. It really makes me feel better about the situation. I thought that it probably had something to do with the show too.”
After they finished their coffee, Emelia and Chloe walked back to the room Chloe shared with Roman. To her surprise, Roman was already back from the meeting with his manager.
“Roman?” Chloe quizzed. “What are you doing here?”
He had a worried expression shadowing the features on his face. He was fretting nervously as he shifted his weight.
“I need to talk to you,” he mentioned in a firm tone. “Privately,” he added as he flicked a glance at Emelia.
Chloe’s heart plummeted through her shoe and splattered on the floor in front of her feet. At least, that’s what it felt like, and the breath suspended in her lungs, freezing there and unable to release.
“Okay...” she finally managed.
Emelia skirted from the room, giving Chloe a sympathetic glance as she closed the door behind her, sealing Chloe inside like a tomb. She had no idea what to expect, but given the somber expression on Roman’s face, it couldn’t be news of sunshine and roses.