For a few long seconds, he just stared. Eyes wide, jaw dropped, he didn't even know how to respond. "You're fucking with me." He blurted out. "You have to be fucking with me." Roman was usually a man of few words and even fewer facial expressions, but even he couldn't control himself after her confession. It was criminal. If he hadn't already been spending the entirety of their friendship wanting to knock the teeth out of every single man who'd even so much as had a chance with her, he certainly was now. No, knocking their teeth out wouldn't be enough. Roman wanted to cave their skulls in for neglecting her like that, for being so stupid not to taste what he'd always wanted to. "I'll do it." Apparently, he still couldn't control himself. He wasn't thinking now, just leaning in closer to her and practically salivating at the image in his head. "Let me do it."

"You pull the trigger just for fun, forgetting I'm a loaded gun." The words were a warning that was ground out through gritted teeth. He wished they weren't like this. He wished she didn't feel like she had to push him. Roman didn't want to take her chance to be angry away, but he didn't want to let his own take over. Years ago, he would have. He would have torn everything in his wake down. Now he just shut down, shut people out, and saved that rage for the ring. "So hate me for the things I've done, but not for what I've now become."

"Spend my days looking back," Roman mused. He'd fucked up. He knew that he had. He was fantastic at destroying things, at tearing everything down the second he got scared and being the only thing left standing. Building things? Nurturing them? He wasn't sure that he knew how to do that, not that he'd tried all that much. Certainly hadn't with her. No, he'd taken the easier route months ago and blown everything up between them. Did he regret it? Of course. Would he ever admit to that? He wasn't sure he'd be able to find the words even if he did try. Dancing around it was much easier, just like looking past her instead of at her and facing the truth of the damage he'd caused was. "And I wonder if you're looking up from underneath someone who's able to be everything that I'm not,"