Someone knocked on Elias' door early that morning. He went to open and smirked at Roman standing on the other side.
"I figured it would be you," Elias said.
"She told you?" Roman asked.
"I saw you last night, Romeo," Elias teased.
Roman smirked at Elias. Elias stepped aside and Roman walked inside.
"She's in the shower," Elias said. "Coffee?"
"Yes, thank you," Roman said.
They walked to the kitchen where Elias apparently had been in the process of eating breakfast. Roman sat down and grabbed a still warm bagel.
"Mmm, fresh from the oven," Roman said. "I like coming here."
"You gotta start paying for food one of these days," Elias chuckled.
The bathroom door opened and footsteps came walking towards them. Cheyenne walked out in the kitchen and looked surprised by seeing Roman there.
"Look who stopped by," Elias said.
"Hi, Roman," Cheyenne grabbed a bagel. "I gotta run."
"Already? I just got here," Roman said.
"I got an early meeting with the band from last night. They're gonna facetime with my boss. He has the final say. Their music is great. Now it comes down to their attitude and if we can reach an agreement," Cheyenne said. "I'll be back around noon."
Cheyenne hurried out of the house. Roman sighed and looked over at Elias.
"I had no idea. We didn't exactly talk last night," Elias said.
"It's okay. She'll be back later. I'll see her at your birthday party tonight," Roman said.
Elias took a sip of his coffee while staring at Roman.
"You're still in love with her too," Elias said.
"I am," Roman confessed. "Wait, what do you mean too?"
"You know what I mean," Elias said.
Both men grinned at each other. Those were words Roman liked to hear.
"I don't get it though," Roman said. "She said she's not exactly with Braun anymore but it didn't sound like she's entirely free of him either."
"She'll never be free of him," Elias sighed.
"What do you mean? Oh please, no. Don't tell me they got a kid together," Roman said.
"What? No!" Elias laughed. "You know Cheyenne. She'd rather kill herself than ever birth a child."
"What is it then?" Roman asked.
"Braun was... or is abusive," Elias said.
Roman felt anger rise up inside him. It all made sense now. The thing Roman hadn't been able to put his finger on when he met Braun last year. Braun was an abusive son of a bitch, and he needed to be beaten up the same way he had ever laid his hands on Cheyenne.
"What the fuck did he do to her?" Roman growled.
"Calm down, Rocky," Elias said.
"Enough with the god damn nicknames!" Roman yelled.
"Shut up!" Elias yelled back.
Roman pursed his lips but he kept quiet. He knew it wasn't the right thing to take his anger out on Elias.
"Can we talk instead of yelling?" Elias asked.
"Sorry," Roman said.
"I get your anger. I'm angry too. I didn't know until it was too late. I never liked him but I didn't know he was like that. Not until I saw her the day after my birthday," Elias said.
"What happened?" Roman said.
"You flirted with her, big man," Elias said. "And that's apparently a death sin according to Braun. She did not look good that morning. She was covered in bruises. They stayed at a hotel but she made her way here next morning. I don't know why. Maybe she just needed me as a witness in case he ended up killing her later."
Roman looked down at his bagel while processing those words. He pushed the bagel around on the table in front of him but didn't make any effort to actually want to eat it. He had lost his appetite. He finally left the bagel alone and looked back up at Elias.
"She actually left him after that," Elias said.
"Good," Roman said.
"He keeps popping in his ugly head from time to time. In his mind he has this idea that as long as she's single, one day they'll get back together. For some fucked up reason I can't explain, he's chosen to agree with the deal of giving her freedom to travel and work for now while he waits for her to be ready to settle down," Elias said.
"That's fucked up," Roman said.
"That's not the worst part," Elias said. "Sometimes he shows up out of nowhere to check up on her. Probably to make sure she honors that deal. And she sleeps with him to keep the peace."
"What?" Roman asked shocked.
"She's scared not to," Elias said. "What else is she supposed to do, Roman? She's all alone in New York. She has no one to help her. Suddenly he's there without warning and the only thing that goes through her head is that she has to stay alive. Giving him what he wants is the only way to make sure of that in her head."
Roman grabbed the bagel and squashed it in his hand. He wanted to squash Braun's head the same way.
"That's... That's..." Roman growled.
"We both know what that is," Elias said.
"That's rape!" Roman yelled. "I don't care that she pretends to give her consent. She doesn't fucking want him! That's rape, Elias!"
"I know!" Elias yelled. "But yelling at me won't make it stop!"
Roman was breathing fast and loud but he stopped yelling and just stared at Elias.
"I'm trying here, Roman," Elias said. "I'm trying to get her out and back home where she's safe."
"Make her!" Roman growled.
"I can't make her do shit," Elias said. "Nor do I wish to be another asshole in her life forcing his beliefs on her. This is a choice she has to make, and she will make it once she's ready. I got a feeling that you doing what you did yesterday might have messed with her brain. Both in a good and a bad way. She suddenly has a lot to think about. So let her think, Roman. Let her make this choice when she's ready."
"And meanwhile?" Roman asked.
"Meanwhile we wait and let her know we're here for her," Elias said.
Roman nodded. He didn't like it but he knew Elias was right. Nothing good would come of trying to force Cheyenne to move back here.
"If I ever see Braun again," Roman threatened.
"You and me both, Roman," Elias sighed. "You and me both."