Ronan had never been the type to be overly emotional. Perhaps it was his underlying condition or the fact that losing his mam so young, and in the manner in which he had, hardened him. Always wanting to be the rock his father and brother needed. There was never time for it and after time, he started to view it as weakness. Juliet had always had this incredible gift, to bring the real him to the surface. He’d never been good at hiding himself or his feelings for long. After so many years together, he’d become easy to read. That was until the monster that had been hiding in his soul decided it was time to surface. Little by little, it built a wall around his soul and by the time it’s grasp had solidified, no one could get in. He couldn’t get out.
He’d had no intention to break down in that moment. He wanted to explain himself, to tell her why he became such a dark version of himself. But her words broke him. In a single motion, her tiny perfect hands grabbed the bricks and tore his wall to the ground. The flood that had been building behind the surface was no unleashed and he was feeling every fucking thing. There on his knees, his hands fisted in the fabric of her dress, he was completely open. As the tears flowed, he felt like they may never stop. And feeling her hands in his hair only made it worse. Because now he craved her touch again. It had always been one of his biggest weaknesses, and he knew if she turned him away after tonight, he would never recover.
Her lips pressed to him caused him to Release his grip on her. He sat back resting on his legs. His entire being was submitting to the onslaught of feelings. Using the back of his forearm he’s wiped at his own cheeks, before allowing his gaze to meet her face. That was his undoing. “I’m so...” He was cut off by a knock at the door. “Ms. Lourd, we need the space.” The bouncer from the front door had peaked his head in. The look in his eyes was enough to say he’d seen too much. Instantly Ronan felt insecure. Pushing off the floor to his feet he cleared his throat and looked down at Juliet. “I need to talk to you.” He tentatively reached out for her hand, already missing her touch. “Will you come back to the apartment so we can talk?” His chest tightened at the thought of being alone with her. To finally have the chance to give her an explanation. He wanted nothing more than to take her pain away, to make sure she knew none of what had happened was her fault.
The moment her head nodded, he watched her gather her things. As they stepped outside and the cool air hit them, his hand found hers again. She was now anchoring him to the present and he felt a rush of calm from such a simple gesture. The walk to the apartment was quiet, but not uncomfortable. Even after three months apart, they could make even the silence work for them. Once they were outside of the building, Ronan pulled his keys from his jacket pocket. First he unlocked the main security door. Next, after taking the 2 flights of stairs, he unlocked the apartment door. He walked inside, flipped a switch on the wall and held the door, waiting for her to enter the place they’d once shared.
