After dropping everyone at the airport I received a text from Roya.

Can you pick me up please?

Yeah, I'm on my way.

And so I dropped Anna at the University where she and Ian can get busy in case Roya wanted some time to herself at home.

As I pull up in front of the cafe and park my car, I can already see Roya sitting by the high table in front of the window. She has her face squished in her hands as it rests on them. I head inside, nodding at Lana who smiles softly at me and then motions towards Roya.

"Hey, let's go," I say, making her jump in her seat which causes me to chuckle. She smiles, shaking her head and gets off the chair. Picking up a box that was lying in front of her.

"Are those brownies?" I ask, opening the door for her.

"Yeah," she nods, raising a brow, already knowing I want some, "not for you," she adds, walking towards the car.

"Then who?" I frown, now opening the car door for her. 

"Someone special?" she question more so and sits in her seat, leaving me confused.

The drive to her apartment is spent in comfortable silence. Roya just looked out of the window while I just drove and kept glancing at her in between. I didn't want to put her in the spot here, we'll talk when she's home. 

I park my car in the building's guest parking and we head inside. Once we reach the lobby, Roya moves towards Robert and I instantly understand why.

"Hey Robert," she chirps.

"Hello Roya, belated happy birthday," he smiles at her, "Jordan," he nods at me and I nod back.

"I brought you brownies," she hands him the box.

He laughs and takes it, "this is going to feel like a barter," he says.

"What?" Roya asks, confused.

"Here are your cookies, my wife made them for the birthday girl," Robert smiles and Roya's face lights up.

"Aww, thank her please, and share the brownies," Roya says, making us laugh. We say our goodbyes and head up.

Once inside the apartment, Roya heads to the kitchen getting a glass of milk and sits on the couch in the living room, opening the packet she just received while I followed her around.

I take the seat next to her and just watch her. She's sitting cross legged, facing me. The packet of cookies in her lap and the glass of milk in her hand. Her hair are tied up in a ponytail and she's wearing a navy blue t-shirt dress with denim shorts that are peeking from under it slightly. 

She looks up at me, in between chewing her first cookie and offers me the packet which I deny with the shake of my head,

"Roya," I sigh and she hums.

"Talk to me?" I feel bad interrupting her eating cookies but we need to talk.

She swallows the bite and looks me in the eyes. I cannot read her, she masks her pain well but all these years have told me that talking it out helps her.

"Dad called yesterday," she starts in a low voice and then clears her throat, "he- mom- him-" she tries to find the words but couldn't. 

"Take your time babe, tell me what you want to tell me," I say.

She nods and places the glass and the cookies on the table, making me curse myself in my brain for ruining her snack. She takes a huge breath and leans down in my lap, sideways and faces my chest, taking a moment to make herself comfortable.

I move my hand into her hair and remove the spirally plastic band she uses to tie them, wrapping it around my wrist. 

"Mom and dad fight," she starts suddenly, making my hand stop but I recover quickly and move it back in her hair, "a lot," she adds.

She knows I'm listening, so she continues, "they both kind of," she pauses for a few seconds, "cheated on each other," she says, shutting her eyes tightly. She's not sad about it which surprises me, she's scared of my reaction to it and even though the news fucking shocks me, I just hum at her.

"It's been going on for a while, like years," she says. Roya's parents are older than anyone else's. Even though they were married quite young, they had Roya late and she's an only child. 

"I don't know what they did when they cheated, if they slept with the other person or not, I just know they did and the people they did it with," she sighs, closing her eyes.

"Dad was the one who did it first, and mom did it years after him. They stopped though, they focused on their marriage and me but then I don't know, it started again," she holds my t-shirt in her fist.

"They love each other, I know they do but.." she sniffles and my forehead creases, it pains me to see her like this, "but they keep doing this to each other," she finishes.

"This is why they don't do anniversary dinners anymore," her voice cracks and I rub her back in circles. 

I would've never guessed what was happening with her parents. They were always so happy together and only used to see them argue on small things. 

"Roya," I say, "what did your dad say yesterday?" I ask what was bothering me the most.

"They're separating," she tells me and I couldn't help but bring her closer to me. Her parents are her only family. She's not close with her cousins. The only family she knows as her own is breaking apart. 

I wipe the few tears that escaped and kiss the side of her head, staying there. 

"I'm here for you Anderson," I whisper, "whatever you need, whenever you need, I'm always here and I always will be," I tell her.

She nods and presses her face in my t-shirt. I lean back and rub her back again. 

Soon Roya's breathing even and I look down to find her sleeping. 

I take this moment to text Denver and ask him to come here. I see that Anna texted me saying she'll be going to babysit somewhere after his work and he'll be accompanying her.

Good.

I have no intention of moving while she sleeps. She looks so peaceful right now. A hair strand falls on her face and I tuck it behind her ear. She moves and places her hand in mine. I notice her hands are rough. Not hard but rough, probably from cooking way too much and working at the cafe. 

I know she was exhausted after last night and she still got up to go to work so she practically drained herself mentally and physically. It's good to know I can make her relax. She trusts me and I know I don't deserve one bit of this pure human but I'm selfish. I can go through anything but I can never leave her.

She has been through so much and I had no clue. Fuck, I can't see her like this. All she has done her entire fucking life is help others. Even if it meant that her plans would face problems, she never said no. So fucking selfless. And here she is, falling asleep in the arms of someone totally opposite.

At least now I know that without her, there's no me. She's my everything. Every. Fucking. Thing. I want to be here for her. Be the reason she smiles. 

Fuck, I'm falling for her. I don't mind being in love with her but I'm scared if she'll ever forgive me. Knowing her, she'll be angry for a few days, hurt even. But she will forgive me. I know she cares too much to hold a grudge. 

Gosh I love her. 

Suddenly, there's a banging on the door and I wince at the sound because Roya's a light sleeper. Whoever I was stops and I sigh. Next thing I know, the door flies open and Denver enters. 

He starts to say something but I motion him to shut up and point towards my lap. He steps forward from behind me and his face softens once he sees Roya. 

He takes a seat on the coffee table in front of us and moves his hands through Roya's hair. He moves back and mouths 'did she talk?' to which I nod and mouth 'later' to him. 

We go back to looking at her and a small smile automatically forms on my face. But then a phone rings. His phone. He curses under his breath and silences it but Roya is already rubbing her eyes. 

She looks up at me in confusion and then at Denver, "Oh, I slept?" she questions, sitting up.

"Yeah," I nod. 

"Hey," she says, looking at Denver.

"Hey," he replies back, smiling at her.

"Wanna finish the cookies?" I ask her, seeing she barely ate anything.

"Mhm," she hums while picking up the half full glass and the packet. 

"Want some?" she asks, offering Denver the packet while holding a cookie in her mouth.

"Sure," Denver shrugs and makes no move to hold the packet. He instead gets up and bites the other half of the cookie in Roya's mouth, brushing his lips on her. 

"Sweet," he says with a mouth full while sitting back down, making Roya blush.