Seth walked down the stairs, inhaled the smell of coffee hanging in the air, and sighed happily. He walked out in the kitchen and poured himself a cup before walking out in the garden where Foggy was sitting with a cup of her own.
"I figured you would be out here again," he said.
"Not many surprises when it comes to me," she said.
She had done that yesterday morning too. She was up before dawn and Seth who usually woke up before Roman had woken up to the scent of coffee hanging in the air. He had found her in the garden yesterday morning too. He walked over and sat down next to her by the garden table.
"You were not easy to track down," he said. "I actually wanted to give up at one point but Roman is a stubborn ass."
"Tell me about it," she smiled sadly.
"You've missed him, haven't you?" He asked.
"So fucking much," she answered.
"He missed you too," he said. "A part of him was missing and he finally got it back."
"I'm leaving today," she said.
He reached over and patted her hand.
"You're leaving with a promise from me. I will get you out of that house. Mark my words," he said.
"You're a stubborn ass too," she said.
"That I am," he laughed. "And I never fail."
"You just said you wanted to give up at one point," she said.
"I wanted to but I didn't," he winked. "I found you, didn't I?"
She nodded and took a sip of her coffee.
"What about JD?" She asked.
"What about him?" He asked.
"You know what I'm asking," she said.
"I'm not gonna touch him. He's a creep but he's a useful creep. He has contacts that I don't. It's not the first time I find a missing woman through him and it probably won't be the last," he said.
"He sometimes brings clients to the house but he never steps inside himself. He says he doesn't mix business with pleasure," she said.
"That sounds like JD," he sighed. "I don't really like him but unfortunately I sometimes need him."
He took out his phone, unlocked it, and handed it to her.
"I'm gonna need the names of all the women in the house," he said.
"Why?" She asked.
"So I can figure out who they are, where they're from, and if someone's out there waiting for them," he said. "Oh, and Roman mentioned something about a wild card. I need her name for sure."
"Liv Morgan," she said. "You won't miss her. She's the one always laughing."
She picked up the phone and wrote down all the women's names. She knew everyone came with their own story but they didn't talk much inside that house. They shared the same cruel fate but everyone was shut down inside themselves. She handed the phone back to him, and he gave her a smile.
"I know it's normal to second guess yourself and everyone around you after what you've been through but we got your back, girl. You're Roman's girlfriend so naturally you're my number one priority," Seth said.
"You really care about him, don't you?" Foggy asked.
"He's the only friend I've ever had," Seth answered. "And I'm not about to let him down."
"I love you too, Seth," Roman said.
They both looked over at the open patio door. Roman stood there with morning hair and a smile on his face.
"I need another cup of coffee," Seth said.
"But you haven't even had a sip yet," Foggy said.
"No, it looks empty to me," Seth grinned. "I'll be inside googling names if you need me."
Seth got up and walked inside while Roman walked over and sat down on the same chair Seth had just been in.
"Did you sleep alright?" He asked.
"Better than I've done the last five years," she said.
He leaned in and placed a kiss on her shoulder.
"If we're gonna do this," she said.
"We're gonna do this," he said. "It's not an if."
"Then we're gonna need couples therapy as well as personal therapy for me. I'm gonna need you to come with me to a safe space where I can walk you through everything that happened while a professional helps us both to cope with it and move on," she said.
"Any day, anytime, anywhere," he said. "I'll be there."
"There's gonna be tears," she said.
"So many tears," he said.
"Maybe some screaming and blaming too," she said.
"I can handle it," he said.
"I know you can. I just hope I can too," she said.
He leaned in and pecked her lips.
"You're the strongest person I've ever met. I know you can get through this. I won't leave you, precious. I love you," he said. "No matter what happens, I'm staying right here by your side."