Haunted - Sunny Wolfe Page 0,10
her because you just feel sorry and bad for her. She loves you, but Beth is not selfish. She won’t keep you from your dream.”
“Beth is my dream. I can’t breathe without her.”
“You need to show her that because she is not going to believe words. She believes action. She always has.”
I knew that on some level.
“Roman, try to see it from her shoes. What if you were the regular guy going through a divorce with a regular job and she was a glamorous actress. Wouldn’t you find it hard to believe she would want you?”
“I see your point, but she should know me better than that. We love each other. We fell in love in that fucking basement.”
“Maybe you need to remind her of that. Not the basement, but the reason she fell in love with you.”
Beth always told me she didn’t believe I would want her after the kidnapping, so it was now my sole purpose to convince her.
“Got it. Hey, Eve…thanks.”
“I hope you two work out. I really think you love each other. Be a shame to see it thrown away.”
I stood in front of Berg’s door, trying to decide whether to bother him or not. I had all these feelings and I wanted to talk them out. See if they made sense to Berg…hell, to me. All of this was so new.
To hell with it.
I went ahead and knocked on Berg’s door. I was nervous and antsy. The door unlocked, opened, and there standing in sweatpants stood my best friend. Berg was about my height with brown hair. He was a good-looking guy, but his personality was what really shone. To be honest, he was the only person I really trusted, besides Beth. His brown eyes searched my face. He already knew I’d come here to talk.
“Roman?”
“Hey, I know it’s late. Are you alone?”
“Uh…yeah I am. Want to come in?”
“No, let’s go to the hotel bar.”
“Are they still open?”
“Yeah.”
“Guess you would know lately, huh?”
“Yup…drinker, I have become.”
Berg put on a T-shirt and a ball cap.
“Dude? Why have you been talking like Yoda lately?”
“I have no idea.”
After I explained all the events that happened to Beth and me in that basement, I looked at my watch and realized two hours had passed.
“So that’s everything,” I said.
“Why didn’t you tell me sooner? I knew the basics, but the rapes…” Berg looked hurt.
“I don’t know. It was personal. I never felt this before—this kind of intimacy.”
“Yeah, I know, bub.” Berg patted my back.
“After talking with Eve…what if I have a chance to get her back?”
“Is that what you want? A girlfriend? Hell, a wife? Are you ready for that?”
“Shit, Berg, I’m forty-one. Being in that basement with Beth was the happiest I have been in years. Well…aside from the shitty stuff. But her…”
“So you love her?”
“Yes, without a doubt. Those six days when she was in Jason’s room…words fail me. I would have done anything to take her place, to take the pain away.”
Berg nodded.
“She makes me happy. I know this sounds weird, but when I’m with her, she makes me want to dance.”
“What?” Berg laughed.
“Yeah…Tate, the fucker, gave Beth an iPod. Anyways, I caught Beth dancing around the cell when she didn’t know I was there. I mean, we were miserable, but she found pleasure in music. I saw her dancing and I wanted to grab her hand and dance with her.” I smiled at the memory.
Berg looked at me while slinging back another shot of whiskey.
“Being without her, I don’t even want to think about it. I had this chick corner me last night after the concert. I was on the fast track to getting drunk, and I felt so low and depressed. Anyway, this girl grabbed my dick through my jeans. I automatically jumped back. It was pure reaction. I knew, even in the state I was in, I didn’t want to be with someone in that way unless it was Beth.
“I love her! I want it all. I want to marry her. I want to have babies with her. I want to live in a little house that has a swing on the front porch. We could swing on it, watching the kids playing out in the yard. I just miss her so fucking much!”
Berg looked shocked at my words. I think if I’d told him I was gay, he would have been less shocked.
“Wow, my friend, I have never heard you talk this way.” Berg wiped his hands over his face. I thought he