A longer chapter again finally! Thank you to everyone who reviews and let's me know what they think. Very helpful! One person said they would be interested in reading a Dean's POV one chapter so if that's something you want let me know and I'll put his POV in one of the chapters! As always please review :)
Roman was on his way to go pick up Jessica from his old house. He called his dad last night to let him know we were in Florida and found out his dad and mom were going to be watching her for the next week. Apparently Brittney flew out of town this morning for some business. Whatever business that was.
Roman walked back into the hotel about 30 minutes later and Jessica ran up to me.
"Rox!" Jessica yelled while running at me. I was walking out of the bathroom and kneeled down and engulfed her in a hug as she got to me.
"Hey Jessica!" I said smiling.
Roman stood leaning against the wall smiling down at us.
"I swear she's more excited to see you than she was me." Roman chuckled. I let go off Jessica and she ran up to Roman hugging his leg.
"That's not true daddy. I am happy you're home." Roman bent down and picked her up hugging her.
Nothing in this world was more cute or more special than seeing Roman with his daughter. He always had such a look of love when he looked and talked to her. They had an extremely close bond. I never had that bond with my father and I knew there was no way I was going to let Brittney take that away from him.
Roman walked over to the bed and sat down on it with Jessica in his lap and me sitting on the floor by it.
"So I figured since I get to spend the whole week with you since your mom is gone you can come stay at my new house" Jessica looked at me confused.
"What is it sweetie?" I asked.
"Why do we need a new house?"
Roman sighed. "Look at me baby girl. Me and your mom decided that it's...well..." Roman kept stuttering and looked over at me begging me with his eyes to help him. I looked back wide eyed not sure what to say.
"Daddy got a house so he can stay there on his days off. Now you get a mommy house and a daddy house.." I said mentally slapping myself for not doing anything helpful in this situation.
"You're not going to live with us anymore?" Jessica looked up at Roman.
"No baby girl... I don't know how to say this in a way you can understand but your mom and I decided that us being together isn't best anymore.. so I needed to get a house of my own."
"Do I still get to see you?" Jessica asked getting teary eyed.
"Of course baby girl! You will see me just as much as you always do okay? You can just stay at my house for the night when I'm home. Is that okay with you?"
Jessica nodded her head.
"So... are we looking for a place for you today?" I asked looking at Roman as he stroked Jessica's hair.
"Well actually my mom already found a house for me since I told her about all of this. It's about 10 minutes from my parents house so I figured I'd just take her word for it so she got it all taken care of I just need to move my stuff in but her, my dad, bros and cousins are packing and moving it right now for me. They wanted me to be able to spend time with Jessie" he paused tickling her sides as she giggled." and not have to worry about doing all that."
"Wow...that's nice of them" I said. " So Jessica?" She looked at me smiling. "What do you want to do today?"
"Can we go to the beach daddy?!" she said excitedly while looking at Roman expectantly.
"Yeah, do you have your swimming suit?" he laughed.
"No..." she said looking disappointing.
"We'll go get you one okay?" he smiled when she perked right back up.
"Is Rox coming with us?"
"If you want me to." I said.
"Yay! Let's go!" she said jumping off Roman's lap and grabbing his hand marching towards the door.
*Roman's POV*
After getting swim suits for all of us I drove us to the beach. We were there for about an hour and a half swimming and playing around until Jessie started relaxing.
"You want a slushie baby?" I asked while looking at Jessica who was telling Rox a story very dramatically.
"Ya! Blue!" She said.
"Anything for you sweetie?" I said looking at Rox.
"Same please." She smiled and I felt my knees go weak. God her smile was beautiful. I smiled back and walked off to get us some slushies. The line was taking forever.
I finally got back and saw Rox sitting next to Jessica building a sand castle. I just stood there for a few minutes watching as Rox would show Jessica what to do and then Jessica do it. She looked so happy and so did Rox. I couldn't stop staring at the scene in front of me. Jessica was so at ease around Rox it was amazing. They finished their sand castle and Rox turned towards the booth and saw me standing there.
"I was wondering where you were." she said smiling. Jessica turned around and got up and ran to me.
"Daddy look I built a sand castle!" she said
"It looks great Jess! Amazing job!" I walked up to our towels and sat down handing Jess her slushie as Rox walked towards us sitting on the towel next to us. I handed her, her slushie and started drinking mine.
"Are you staying with daddy in the new house?" Jessica asked directing her question at Rox. Rox stopped drinking and looked at me.
"Uh..."
"She is. Is that okay with you? If it's not we'll figure something out." I said interrupting Rox.
"I want her to stay. She's fun." Jessica said when finishing her slushie.
We laid in the sun for a few minutes.
"Daddy?"
"Yes?"
"I have to pee." I went to get up when Rox held up her hand and stood up.
"I'll take her." I nodded my head and watched the two walk off holding hands.
As bad as this sounds I wish Rox was her mom and not Brittney. I sighed thinking about what was to come with Brittney. I got lost in my thoughts until I heard Rox.
"Jess is tired. I thought the house would probably be ready right now and she can go nap before we have dinner."
I looked up and nodded. I started gathering our blankets while Jess stood there holding Rox's hand.
"Where do you wanna eat tonight?"
"Can you do a barbeque?" Jessica asked.
"We can do that." We walked in the car and headed for the house. I called my mom on the way and she said it was ready.
The house was bigger than I expected. It had a huge back yard with a pool, swing set and patio. It had an upstairs and a basement. The basement was a in home gym and man cave which I knew my dad set up. There were 3 bedrooms upstairs, 3 bathrooms upstairs, and half a bathroom downstairs with the living room, dining room and kitchen.
Jessica was asleep 2 hours before I went to go to the store and pick up what I needed and Rox went to go wake her up.
I pulled back up to the house and walked in with the groceries. I turned toward the living room and saw Jessica sitting on the floor in front of Rox and Rox braiding her hair. Both of them were wearing shorts and a tank top. I smiled and walked into the kitchen to unpack. I got hamburger, hot dogs, potato salad, macaroni salad, lemonade, beer, and cheese cake which just happened to be Rox and Jessica's favorite desert.
"Need any help Rome?" I turned and saw Rox standing there.
"No thanks babe you've helped me enough just relax while I cook."
Not even a minute after I put the hamburgers and hot dogs on the grill did Rox and Jessica walk out and join me. Jessica ran to the swing set and Rox walked up to me.
"How are you doing?" She asked standing next to me.
"I'm doing great. Are you okay?"
She nodded her head and I put the lid on the grill and faced her. "You sure?"
"Yeah I was just worried about you. I thought being here would make everything more...real I guess."
"It did. I know I'm really about to fight for my daughter and it does scare me but I'm ready. I know deep down there's no way I'm losing her, you know?" She was about to respond when Jessica called her. "Rox! Come swing with me."
Rox looked up at me and smiled. I kissed her forehead and she turned and walked off towards the swing set.
We finally ate and now were in the living room watching TV. Rox was on the chair and I was lying back on the couch with Jessica laying on top of me. We were watching the SpongeBob Square Pants movie. I hated this sponge but Jessica loved him so here we watching him. After the movie I looked down and saw Jessica fast asleep on my chest. I lifted her up and stood up to carry her to her room. I laid her in bed, covered her with the blankets and kissed her forehead. "I love you Jessica." She rolled over and I head her quietly say "I love you too daddy." I walked to the door and stood there watching her sleeping. This is what I missed the most when I was on the road. I miss spending time with her, eating dinner with her, putting her to bed, telling her i love her in person. I loved wrestling I just wished we got to be home more. I loved entertaining but leaving her always broke my heart.
I silently shut her door and walked back down stairs to see Rox in the kitchen cleaning the dishes from dinner.
"I was going to do that."
"You cook, I clean."
"You don't have to though." I said leaning on the counter next to her as she finished the last dish.
"It's not that big a deal Rome. Just helping out." She dried her hands on the kitchen towel and laid it on the counter. I grabbed her arms and pulled her against me. Resting my head on top of hers and my arms around her lower back. She sighed contently and leaned against me rubbing her hands down my back.
"Jessica seems to love you." I said. She nodded her head and looked up at me smiling.
"She's so amazing. I love spending time with her."
"Just when i thought you couldn't get anymore perfect." She pulled back from me a bit but was still in my arms.
"I think after the bit of my past I told you last night I pretty much proved I'm not perfect."
"That's what makes you perfect." She cocked her head to the side and looked at me confused. "I don't mean you're the traditional idea of perfect but to me you are. The fact that you aren't what is the idea of perfect makes you perfect to me. All your flaws, and your scars and everything makes you who you are, you're hilarious, comforting, protective, nuturing, loving, and amazing with Jessica. It's pretty hard to believe you're even real Rox." She leaned forward and hid her face in my chest. "And it's adorable how easily you blush and how you always try to hide it. I like knowing I have that affect on you."
She pulled completely away from me and leaned on the counter across from me running her hand through her hair looking at me like she wanted to say something.
"What's going on Rox?"
"I... it's nothing."
"Don't do that. What is it?"
"I loved today. It was one of the best days I've ever had. It just got me thinking and then after what you just said..." she trailed off and I moved in front of her I put one hand on each side of her on the counter so she couldn't leave.
"About what? What did what I just said do?"
She looked up at me skeptical and looked kind of scared.
"What are we Rome?"
"Friends."
She looked down and pushed my arm off the counter and went to go walk away. I grabbed her arm and turned her to me but she wouldn't look at me.
"Rox. I-"
"It's fine I get it. We're friends just like we always have been. It's cool" She went to pull out of my grasp but I wouldn't let go.
"We're going at your pace Rox.. Technically we are friends but that doesn't mean that's what I want. You know what I want okay? The only one who really hasn't told anyone what they want is you. I'm not trying to sit here and say we are something else and have that freak you out where you leave." She nodded her head and kept looking at the floor.
"No Rox we're not doing this. You don't get to hear what I just said and just nod like everything is solved. Tell me how you feel what you want. Open up to me babe."
She sighed and hopped up to sit on the counter behind her. I put my hands back on the counter and looked at her.
She put her arms around my neck so i stood between her legs my arms around her waist.
" I just want you Roman. I don't mean it like 'take me now' kind of want. I want to fall asleep with you and wake up with you. I want to have lazy days with you, I want to spend my days off with you and do bbqs and go to the beach and do normal people things when we're not on the road. I want to watch you when you're with Jessica. It's one of the most heart warming things I've ever seen. I want to see Jessica. i want her to tell me stories, and to teach her how to do things, and hear her funny remarks and how excited she gets over learning things. I want to be with you for the long haul. I want to build a life with you, I want to learn more about Jessica and connect with her and have you two be huge parts of my life. I want what I never had. I want a family. i want someone who I know I can love forever and have someone I care about, someone who tells me about their day and wants to hear about mine. I want the kind of nights we just had. I just want to know what we are and where we are going. I don't want to cause drama for you but I want you. All of you in every way Roman."
I couldn't' stop the goofy grin from spreading onto my face. The girl I was in love with wanted me. For good. I haven't felt this happy in a long time. This day was perfect. I kissed her passionately and held her tight.
"As long as you'll have me Rox I'm yours. For the long haul."
"Promise." she whispered close to my ear.
"I promise babe. It's you and me now. No more bullshitting okay?" She nodded her head and kissed me.
*Back in Vegas*
There was a knock on the door and Jason went to go get it.
"Um..hi" A female said from the other side of the door.
"Hi... you must be Brittney?" Jason asked. Brittney nodded and Jason smiled while opening the door wider. "Come on in, we've been waiting for you.
Brittney walked in and followed Jason into the living room.
"Hey beautiful."
"Hey handsome." Brittney said while hugging the guy tightly and locking lips with him in a sloppy kiss.
"I missed you." The guy whispered running his hand through her hair.
"I missed you too babe. I'm sorry about everything."
"Everything?" Jason asked looking confused.
"Roman caught us in bed together so we ended things so she could try to fix it but ended up right back together."
"Oh I see.." Jason said quietly.
"Where are my manners? Jason this is my girl Brittney, Brittney this is my little brother Jason. He was with Rox." Brittney rolled her eyes at the mention of Rox but smiled and shook Jason's hand. "Nice to meet you." Jason shook back firmly and smiled back "You too."
"You never told me you had a little brother Aaron." Brittney said looking at her boyfriend.