When in Rome (When in Rome, #1)

by Sarah Adams

“Yeah. I did. And I’d do it again in a heartbeat because I could tell you had deluded yourself into thinking this place could be your new home. It never will, Rae, because your life and his life don’t mix.” I grit my teeth against her words. “So I brought what would have inevitably happened anyway to you a little sooner—was that really so wrong? Was it so terrible to force some space between you and your mom who were so obnoxiously inseparable? I mean for shit’s sake, Rae, you were attached to that woman’s hip when I found you. You always listened to her advice over mine, and she held you back. So yes, I meddled a little, but it was necessary to help you achieve your dreams.”

Noah climbs on the bed beside me. He sits upright against the headboard and retrieves a book from his side table, and then he does the most incredible thing: he reads aloud to me. All week I’ve asked him to and he said no. But now he is, and his voice is rumbly and comforting in the most perfect way.

“I promise I’ll be back, Noah. And you know how you can believe me?” “How?” he asks, with his eyes still closed. I take this moment to study him. To memorize every centimeter of his face. Every wrinkle, eyelash, and curve of his mouth. “Because I found a home and a family with this town and I love them.” I drag in a breath and cup his jaw, angling his face up toward me. “And I love you.” He opens his eyes, and his hands remain fixed on the backs of my legs. His face is tender astonishment, because we haven’t exchanged those words yet. But I can’t hold them in any longer. And then Noah smiles. Full. Wide. Glorious smile. “I love you, too, Amelia.”

We’re slowly untangling the lies that Susan wove around our relationship over the years. After a little digging, I realized that my mom hasn’t even been accepting money from me the last few years. All those “requests” that came from her through Susan were actually going right into Susan’s pocket. Needless to say, Susan is going to need a really good lawyer.

I slam my body into his before he can finish his sentence and crash my mouth into his. I wrap my arms tightly around his neck, so he gets the message that I’m never letting go. I hope he doesn’t have stage fright because I’m going to have to perform like this from now on.

“You got a cell phone?” My voice is pure awe. Tears are clinging to my lashes. For most people this wouldn’t mean much, but for Noah, adjusting to modern technology is on par with changing religions. “And Wi-Fi is being installed in my house as we speak. If I have to be apart from you for months on end, I at least want to be able to see your pretty smile on FaceTime.” “You really are getting internet installed at your house?” “Yep. And I’m going to need you to show me how to use this damn thing. Why are there so many little pictures on the screen?” “Those are called apps.” He grunts. “I don’t like them.” “We’ll delete all of them except for the ones you need.” “I still don’t love it.”

Since the end of her tour the princess of soulful pop has disappeared from the public eye, only tweeting the day after her final concert that she loves her fans dearly and is taking an extended step out of the spotlight to rest and recover. The singer has not been seen or heard from for three months, until yesterday, when she broke her social media hiatus and posted an Instagram photo of her hand clasped with a man’s—a gorgeous princess cut engagement ring gracing her finger. The caption read: “When in Rome…” leaving fans buzzing with anticipation and hungry for more news.