The Room - A Sensuous Experience

in New York. You have so much potential.”
“Our life is here, Robyn.”
“There’s no opportunity for me here, Ian! Don’t you want to see and do more than just getting worked up for the Jubilee Day parade during the Fourth of July?”
“I’ve . . .” What the hell? Ian had built them a home! He was ready to start their lives together, and she sounded like she was ready to run away from everything including him.
She rushed her words. “I accepted the position.”
Ian sat stunned. “You accepted the job without even talking to me first?”
“It’s a great opportunity.” Anxiously, Robyn wrangled her hands together. “I couldn’t pass it up.” She pleaded. “You’re so talented. There isn’t anything you couldn’t do in New York.”
Ian slid off the hood of the car and started putting on his clothes. When he pulled his pants up, the weight of the small platinum band in his pocket felt heavy. “Those are your dreams, not mine, Robyn.”
She got down from the car and started getting dressed too. “Romona is a small town with small minded people in it. The world is a much bigger place than here. I’ll suffocate if I have to spend the rest of my life in this place.”
His gaze burned a hole into her. “Am I one of those small-minded people you’re talking about?”
“That’s not what I meant, and you know it. All I’m saying is, I have to follow my dreams. I have to know what else is out there for me.”
Sadly, he agreed. “If your heart isn’t here, then you should follow your dreams.”
For the first time, Robyn had a glimmer of hope. “Then, you’ll come with me?”
The answer was reflected in his eyes before he said a word. “New York isn’t a place for me.”
“But, it could be.”
“Believe it or not, I have plans of my own.”
She snorted and rolled her eyes. “Like what? Running Computer Nerdz when Jake retires?”
Ian looked away. For the first time ever, he realized Robyn might love him, but she didn’t respect him. The pain in his chest was so strong; he thought it might be physical. This was not how this night was supposed to end. They were supposed to be celebrating their engagement, not calling off the relationship.
His voice was small. “You should go.” He cupped her chin in his hand. “I would never want to be the reason to hold you back. I love you too much for that.”
Her eyes shimmered. “If I go, what does that mean for us? I don’t want to lose you.”
Moments ticked by. Ian couldn’t find the right words. His entire world was collapsing. Was he supposed to beg her to stay? He couldn’t do that. Robyn had made it pretty clear; she didn’t respect him. What was he supposed to do with that information? The woman he loved thought he was a fuck up. His own eyes burned, and his throat was thick.
Ian had to cough in order to speak clearly, and finally, he responded. “It means there’s a big world just waiting for you to conquer it.”

Chapter 8
Present Day
“Maxwell, things change . . . people change. Maybe they even realize they’ve made mistakes.”
His smile was a little sad. “Do they?”
She whispered, “Yes, they do. I did make a ton of them, but more than anything, I’m sorry I hurt you.”
Slowly, he nodded.
“After I left, I tried to keep in touch. You never answered any of my calls, and after a while, I thought you would never forgive me.”
“For a long time, that was true.”
Robyn pressed her lips together. “I guess that answers why none of my calls, texts, or emails were returned.”
Maxwell took the back of his knuckles and caressed Robyn’s cheek. “When you left, you had dreams. I can’t fault you for chasing them. But it nearly broke me. I needed time to get over the hurt, but eventually, I came to understand.”
Robyn’s voice grew thick. “I wanted you to come with me. I didn’t want to leave you.”
“They were your dreams. I had to find my own.”
“You seem to have done that and more. I always knew you would do incredible things. You were the man who could create magic with floss and toothpaste.”
“I’ve done okay.”
“I would say much better than that.”
He nodded. “I thought you were the one who told me you couldn’t believe everything you read? No truer words have ever been spoken, and I’ll add only believe half of what you see.”
Speaking in unison, they said, “Who do I trust, you, or my lying eyes?” They laughed.
Maxwell’s eyes softened. “First rule of celebrity, in order to survive the media nonsense, ignore the dumb shit in the rag magazines and don’t search for yourself on the internet. If I believed everything I read, I would have thought you were going to marry that dude, Brett.” Curiously, he raised a brow. “There’s no truth in that is there?”
“Chet.” Robyn almost choked on her wine. “His name is Chet Anderson.”
“Whatever. Truth to the rumors?” Even though Maxwell tried to downplay how he felt about the answer, Robyn could see in his eyes that wasn’t the case.
A slight smile appeared on her face at the thought. Her marriage status mattered to him. “That’s been over for a while.”
“Were you heartbroken?”
She sighed. “No. Just my pride. But Chet helped me realize all that glitters isn’t gold. Ahhh . . . I see what you did there. We’re back to talking about me. I’m not falling for it, Mr. Bryant. I want to know what you’ve been up to over these past nine years.