I Didn't Know I Needed You

19

He slowly leans back on his chair, smug look on his face. For the past year he had been in prison for domestic violence on his wife and two kids. He nearly beat his daughter to death and that's where he crossed the line. Well, everyone else believes he crossed the line except for himself. Of course.

The moment he walked into the prison, he was already thinking of ways to make his family's life a living hell. His beautiful little family. He vowed to himself that before he took his last breath on this earth, he would make sure that his family suffers. He vowed to take everything away from them. He will not stop until they were people who lived on the streets, begging for a couple of coins. That thought made him smile deviously.

~

She walks into Roman's house as she inhales the air in the candle-lit room. It smelled of apple cinnamon. Her favourite. Roman's house was beautiful. Bigger compared to hers but still comfortable enough to live in.

"Come in. Don't be shy." Roman smiles at her taking her hand and walking towards the kitchen to see a woman who looked fairly older then Roman but still young. She was chopping lettuce and seemed to be making some sort of salad.

"Vanessa, this is Brie. My girlfriend." She walks towards Brie, a warm smile on her lips while shaking her hand.

"It's really nice to meet you. I had to meet the girl who my brother would talk about consistently and daydream about. It's a pleasure." She says laughing while walking back to the kitchen counter to continue chopping the vegetables.

He shakes his head laughing while linking his hand with Brie's as they turn around to face Roman's father. Roman slowly looks at Brie and gives a small nod, letting her know that this is his father.

Brie examines him as he extends out a fatherly hand for her to shake. He was a middle aged man. Probably in his mid 40's. He didn't look to old but the fine lines across his forehead and the corner of his eyelids brought out his older appearance. As Brie looks at him, she could tell that he had been through a lot. Well of course. He had to raise 3 kids on his own. Without knowing him, Brie could tell that he was a good father. Way better than hers ever was.

"It's nice to meet you, Mister. Reigns." Brie says quietly as she quickly links her hand to Roman's. she wasn't exactly scared of Roman's dad..but just seemed to be cautious.

"Please, call me Sika." He smiles at her while walking into the kitchen to help his daughter with the dinner that was going to be ready in about 20 minutes.

Roman walks up the stairs for Brie to follow as they walk into his room. Brie looks around the big room, as she examines the multiple football championships displayed on a wall shelf and pictures of Roman from when he was a little boy. She walks to his bedside table and picks up the frame. It was a picture of Roman and a woman who seemed to be his mother. She was holding him in her lap while he was looking up at her, laughing. He looked so happy.

"That's my mom." Roman says walking behind her, lightly taking the frame and putting it back on his table.

"How did she pass away?" Brie asks quietly looking at the ground, not being able to stand the sadness in her lovers eyes.

"She..she was killed. She was killed in a car accident." He says just above a whisper.

"I'm sorry."

"Me too."

Brie puts her hands on Roman's face, wiping the tears that were falling. He refused to look her in her eyes. He didn't want her so see him so weak. He was her boyfriend. He had to be a strong protector for her.

"Look at me, Ro."

He slowly wipes his face with his hands as he looks at Brie.

"I'm never gonna lose you, Brianna. I don't care what gets in our way. I lost my mom already, Brie. My heart won't be able to handle losing you too. I can't. I won't survive this time." He exclaims, exposing himself. Brie was in awe. She loved him. So much.

"You won't lose me. Never." She says as they hug each other tightly.

"Guys, come down the dinners ready!" They bear Vanessa call out as they let go of each other and head to the kitchen. The food that Roman's family had prepared looked absolutely amazing.

"We usually don't have dinners like these. But since I told them you were coming, they went crazy with the food options." Roman whispers as they both laugh.

They eat their dinner, as they talk and laugh. Roman's brother, Matthew, has also come to join them and they looked like Ike big happy family. They all loved Brie. And Brie, well she loved them too.

She finishes her dinner as she excuses herself to wash her hands. As she was walking into the bathroom, she looks out the window to see the same black car she had seen outside her house. The uneasy feeling rose to her stomach again as she sees two men in the car, looking at the direction of Roman's house. Was she being followed? She was scared at the thought what and who those men could possibly be.

She quickly walks into the bathroom, her stomach in knots as she washes her hands, and splashes her face with freezing water. It had to be a coincidence. Those men didn't even know her. They weren't gonna do anything. Well, at least that's what she hoped.

She walks out of the bathroom as she heads toward the living room and sits next to Roman.

"I think it's time I should leave. My moms expecting me home soon." Brie says as she gets up, Roman following.

"Brie, it was so nice to have you. Please come again." Romans' father says as Vanessa hugs Brie.

"Thank you for having me. I hope to see you guys soon." She smiles as she exits Roman's house and both head to the car.

"I love your family."

"And they love you." Roman smiles at her while starting the engine.

"I like your dad. He loves you. I can tell." Brie says looking at the window.

"Yea. He's...he's a good man."

"I never had that so..I guess it's hard for me to believe that there are good fathers out there you know."

"I understand you. But sometimes you have to lose something. To get something better." Roman explains looking at Brie.

"Yea I get that. Just like how I happily lost my father, moved here. And then I met you." She says lovingly.

Roman looks at her and smiles.

"I love you, Brianna."

"I love you too."