NICOLE

We lie in bed afterward, side by side.

"I want you to tell me about her."

Roman tenses right away and stops running his fingers through my hair. "Who?"

"Esmeralda."

He reacts like I've just slapped him across the face. He even turns his face away from mine. "I don't see how that's relevant, Nikki. I don't want to share that part of my life with you because it doesn't matter as much to me."

I place my hand over his cheek and force him to look at me again. "It's not going to work if ...