Chapter Thirty-Three

Finlay

 

It’s relaxed conversation as we dine in a small restaurant we stumbled across. If we hadn’t been walking past it, I’m sure we wouldn’t have known it existed. The place is not located on a main road, and it’s small. However, it’s booming with diners.

“Another glass of wine, ma’am?” a waitress asks in passing.

“No, thank you.” Rose politely declines, laying her hands on a circular table for two, which is clothed in red-and-white-checked linen.

“Anything for you, sir?” The waitress’s attention turns to me.

“No. I’m fine.”

Smiling broadly, the waitress moves on to the next table of diners.

“My parents and my sisters have come to visit me a few times now.”

I’m shocked by this admission. “I thought the point was for them not to know you were here.” I’m instantly worried.

“No! My leaving home was to create space and a mutual territory to negotiate terms with them, and also to give Slade time to get over his pride. My leaving Hoffman, on the other hand, was your plan. I never made that decision, you did, but it all seems to have worked out in the end.”

“Fair call. So how did your father take this news?” It’s a sarcastic delivery accompanied by a rolling of my eyes.

“He wasn’t ecstatic about the idea, as you can imagine, but he’s supportive now with the decision I’ve made.”

“I’m glad. I’ve seen your parents in passing a few times, but I haven’t had any conversations with them.”

“Bullshit,” Rose huffs.

“Sorry?”

“I’ve been in contact with Tessa and Rance, remember?”

I offer Rose an uneasy smile. “Okay, a few times I’ve talked with them. It was mainly heated conversation, I will admit. Once they caught onto the fact you were no longer in Hoffman and had disappeared, they were worried, so they reported you missing.”

“I know they did.” Rose pauses briefly. “I contacted the police and let them know I was safe after Rance rang to tell me what my parents did.”

Here I was thinking I was in control of the keep-Rose-safe mission, but turns out I wasn’t in control at all. Maybe Rose never changed her number. Maybe her number was just blocked from me.

“Don’t be mad.” Rose studies me with a look of what I believe to be uncertainty.

“I’m not mad. I figured you must have contacted someone who could make them cease the search party. However, I thought you must have known about the report after seeing it splashed across the Internet or television, not from Rance.”

“I didn’t want anything to happen that could get you into trouble. I knew my parents would do something like they did, so I was keeping a watchful eye on reports, but Rance managed to contact me before I saw any.” Rose’s eyes close momentarily before she flashes them open and says, “Slade is engaged to be married, so I’ve heard.”

“Yeah. It’s the word around town.” Does she care?

“See? It all worked out, didn’t it?” If the smile she’s displaying is anything to go by, then it would be a no to my previous thought.

“If you think so.” At least my heartache wasn’t in vain.

“You don’t?”

“It hasn’t been easy, Rose. I live between your parents and Slade’s father.”

“They’ve left you alone, though, right?”

“Yeah, they have for a long while now. It still doesn’t take away from the fact it’s a constant reminder of you.”

“Why haven’t you moved?” she blurts out, as if I should have done so.

“What’s the point of moving? Shit seems to follow me no matter where I go. It’s the life of a loser.”

Her eyes widen to the size of saucers. “You’re not a loser.” It’s almost a scolding the way Rose says this. “Why would you say that about yourself?”

I shrug. “Because it’s true.”

“You’re not a loser.” Her tone is harsh.

“You keep telling yourself this, Rose. Anyway, are you finished eating? Do you want anything more to eat?”

“Yes, I’m finished, and no, I don’t.” She takes the red napkin she’d laid on her lap and throws it onto the table.

“Rose.” I reach out my hand and place it on top of hers, which causes her to snatch her hand back.

“Leave it,” she snaps.

Is she mad?

We stand out front and Rose paces at first before she comes to stop at my feet. “Why didn’t you come find me? Why? I thought we had something special, something—”

“So you’re mad at me for the way things ended? You said you weren’t, but it seems like you are.”

“Why didn’t you come find me? It’s been an entire year. I thought you wouldn’t have been able to stay away this long. I thought you’d move hell or high water to find me regardless of the ramifications … I was wrong.” Her eyes glaze with moisture.

“I need to go back to the hotel. I have to begin a long drive home to Hoffman tomorrow morning, bright and early.”

“I understand.” She scowls.

Considering we both have absolutely no idea how far we’ve wandered from the hotel or how to get back there, I decide it’s best to order a taxi. It arrives promptly.

It’s a silent, yet short commute, and we arrive back at our destination safely. We hadn’t travelled away as far as I thought we had; it wouldn’t have taken much time to walk back. Slipping the driver a fifty-dollar note for his effort has Rose giggling without warning.

“For such a small distance you gave the driver a rather large tip.”

Rose’s expression has me wondering if she’s finding this humorous or ridiculous—I’m not sure which one. I’m also not sure if this laughter indicates her previous upset has passed.

“It’s only money,” I say as we enter the lobby of the hotel with a minor gap between us.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry.” Rose shakes her head. “I’m sorry I went off like I did.”

I place my hand to her arm. “It’s okay.”

“Can we forget about my moment of craziness?”

“Moment of what, now? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” I smile to indicate all has been forgotten.

We continue walking to the lifts.

“I’m surprised you came all this way to collect a bike. It’s not like you couldn’t afford to have it freighted, right?”

Is Rose making a statement or is she trying to gather information.

“Yeah. I could have, but it’s a private sale and purchase, and I like to personally check those out myself to make sure we’re not going to end up with a dodgy deal and nothing for our money. Plus, I had a few others I wanted to look at in person.”

“Makes sense.” She eyes me fondly when we step into the elevator.

I go to take her hand, but refrain, because in a moment’s time, I’m saying goodbye to Rose, and I don’t want to complicate matters any further. After all, Rose is happy, she said it herself, and for this reason alone, it’s best to leave things this way.

Rose shifts from foot to foot as we stand by her room’s door. Is she nervous? Or uncomfortable?

“I had a lovely evening.”

“Me too. I’m glad I bumped into you and we had an opportunity to spend time together.” I pause, trying to memorise how she looks now so I can take this image with me. “Well, night, Rose,” I say once I’m satisfied I’ve stared at her long enough.

“Goodnight, Fin. Please take care.” Her fingers skim my arm before she retreats them back.

“You too.” Turning away, my heart is heavy and my stomach rolls over as if I’m going to be sick. If I’ve done this once, I can do it again. Maybe I shouldn’t have even gone out with her tonight.

“Fin,” she speaks softly.

“Yes.” I keep my back turned and Rose from my view.

“Do you think I could see you again?” Her voice shakes on asking.

“Yeah. I’ll come back sometime and see you.”

“I’d love to keep in contact, if you’d also like to?”

“I’ll need your number for that.”

Slipping my hand instinctively into my jean pocket, I swivel on my heel and take the few strides back to Rose, handing her my mobile phone.

“You’ve already got my number. I just need to unblock you. It never changed.”

“Oh. Okay.” Of course she fucking does.

“I’ll hear from you then?” She hands me my phone back.

“I’ll message you, definitely.”

“Good.”

Her hand plants to my cheek without warning, and as she runs her fingers over my skin I want nothing more than to kiss her. Can I kiss her, though?

Her bottle green eyes glue to mine, and I can’t control my need to step forwards, closing the final portion of the remaining gap.

Wrapping my arm around her small waist, I allow my lips to hover over hers without even knowing I’ve managed to be this close to her.

“Fin,” she breathes.

“Can I kiss you, Rose?”

She nods before I tilt my head slightly and press my lips to hers, taking my time before sliding my tongue into her mouth with ownership.

Rose tastes just as pure as I remember, and I can’t help forcing the connection of our mouths until I reach the point where I need to catch my breath and must release her.

“I have to go.” Rose appears to be straining, as if she’s trying not to cry.

“Okay,” I say, giving her space.

Once her door is unlocked by the swipe card she initially fumbles, she disappears from my sight for good.

I barely get a lick of sleep, and when the alarm sirens at 6:00 a.m., I know it’s time to go. The only thing is, I’m having a lot of trouble processing this thought because I don’t want to leave Rose.

With my bag hitched to my shoulder, I twist the door handle and close it behind me, “Time to go,” I mumble.

I hesitate, but I know I need to return home because Tessa and Alan need me and I have responsibilities to attend to.

Swivelling on my heel, my eyes bug wide because Rose sits on the floor with her back pressed against the wall of the corridor.

“Hi.” She stands gingerly, and I remain stilled. “I didn’t want to miss talking to you before you left, so I’ve been out here for a little while.” A light pink suitcase is positioned beside her, so I assume she must also be leaving.

I’m staring at her and a million thoughts are travelling through my mind at the speed of light, but I’m unable to say any of them out loud.

“Take me with you.” It’s a desperate plea as she approaches me.

“You have school.” I manage to spit out.

“No. I don’t. We were here celebrating our last exams for the year … It’s the end of October, which means we’re on a three-month summer holiday starting this weekend.”

“Rose.”

“Please. Take me with you. I’m ready to go back, and I want to see Tessa before she …” Rose can’t even say it. I don’t blame her—neither can I.

“You need to stay here and live your life, Rose. You’re happy—you said you were happy.”

“I am happy, and I’ll be coming back to continue my degree. It’s what I want to do, but I also want to spend a little time in Hoffman. There’s no need to worry. I know it will be fine to be there with how much time has passed.”

“No.” What are you doing, you idiot? Take her with you.

“Fin …”

“I’m sorry, Rose, but I can’t say goodbye to you again in three months’ time or a couple of weeks. I’d want you for myself, every day and every night and that’s not fair to you. I can’t have this conversation with you. I have to leave and get on the road.”

The wounded look she flashes me makes it hard for me to pass by her, but I manage to, going straight to the elevator so I can get the hell out of here.

When the doors part, I step in and hope to God Rose doesn’t take chase. She doesn’t, and before they get a chance to seal, she yells, “I still love you, Finlay. I love you.”

Throwing my arm into the small gap sees them reopened, and I step back out.

“I never stopped, and I haven’t met anybody else,” she continues. “Nor do I want to. I’m standing here in hopes that you love me.”

“I … I do ….” I stop speaking and just look into those bottle green eyes. I want her more than anything. Do I go for the second most convincing lie I will ever tell or not?

At first, I stare at her, watching teardrops escape from her eyes, but then I take a step closer. “Rose, I don’t want a holiday fling because I want something long-lasting, like life-lasting. Like … It just wouldn’t work.”

“We’d make it work.”

Rose might be convinced of this, but I’m not. There’s no way her family would ever be happy with us being together. I mean, I can’t stand her father as far as I could throw him. The man is an arsehole, even more so for what he did to Rose.

“How?”

“We would—I know we would.” Her cheeks are tear-stained.

“Rose …”

“Did you really love me like Rance said you did? And if you did, can you tell if you still feel this way about me now?”

I don’t answer. I want to, but telling her will make no difference.

“Do you love me?” Her tone becomes more desperate.

“I have to go, Rose. I’m sorry.” I walk backwards.

“Tell me you don’t love me and I’ll leave you alone. Tell me you don’t love me—it’s all you have to do.”

I halt. “I don’t …” I can’t say it.

“Tell me,” she shouts.

“Okay! I love you, Rose. I fucking love you, and I have since I met you, and I still do now, but loving you isn’t going to be enough for us,” I yell.

“It will be enough. Do you trust me?” Her hand outstretches.

“Yes,” I answer without time to think.

“Then take me home, Finlay. Take me home with you.” Rose appears depleted of all energy when her hand drops before her shoulders slump and then her knees slightly bend as she shifts until her back meets the wall.

“Rose.” I scan her from head to toe, and I can’t help but wonder if this time I’m making the wrong decision by burying the way I feel about her in order to give her the life she has made for herself.

“Fin, take me with you.”

“Okay,” I breathe. “But if we do this, it has to be everlasting, Rose.”

“It will be because I love you, and it’s the only thing I know for certain will see us through.”

“I love you, Rose.” My tone is gentle.

“I know you do. I just needed to hear you say it.”

Marching forward, I slide my fingers into her hair and I tilt my head until my lips are paused over hers. “Your safety will always come first, before anything else, and it will be the only time I will request you allow me any control of your life. Otherwise, Rose, I want you to be as free-spirited as you were standing before me when I came here.”

“Okay.” It’s all but a hush.

“You should never be caged or owned, Rose, because you have so much to offer the world and much to experience.”

Her eyes are glazed from the liquid pooling in them.

“I love you,” I whisper, right before I press my lips to hers and cherish her mouth with mine. Rose moans, and this only intensifies the way in which I kiss her. When there’s no air remaining, I shift my head to breathe and then go right back to where I was tasting her.

Running my thumbs under her eyes has me brushing away her tears, and when her lips arch so do mine.

“I’m ready to go home now. Are you?”

I nod as I gesture towards the elevator doors.

Lacing her fingers into mine with one hand, Rose clutches the handle of her suitcase with the other, and together, we wait for the lift to reach the floor and the doors to open. As the doors close sealing us in I stare into Rose’s eyes, and I can’t help thinking how when I came to move into the property next door to hers, she treated me like a simple misfit who’d never have a chance of belonging in a high-society world. Rose-coloured glasses turned out to be the wrong shade for this Roselette. It was apparent from the very beginning Rose had no clue what living really meant, and she definitely had no clue what life outside of diamond-encrusted walls could be—that was until she fell in love with me and put her trust and her life in my hands.

It turns out by making the ultimate sacrifice in love, I won in the end. Because I won her heart, and she always had mine from the very beginning.

“Hey, Fin, did your dream bike ever finally arrive?” The gleam in Rose’s eyes is bright.

“Yes.” I smile.

“Good. When we get home can you to take me for a ride up to our waterfall?” Rose snakes her arm behind my back and lays her head against my shoulder.

“Oh, I’ll take you for a ride, sweetheart …”

Rose squeals as I twist her into my arms and hold her tightly.

“Baby, our life together is just beginning, but I have a feeling it’s going to be the life of a winner.”

Rose presses her lips to mine momentarily before staring deep into my eyes. “You’re not a loser, Fin. You never were. You’ll always be a winner to me.”