Yes, Master

Chapter Twelve: Breaking Down the Walls

    That night, I go home with Curtis. I debate with him about whether I should tell Lily about my recent...discovery.  "I think she deserves to know," I say

  "Rosalie, she's so young. She thinks the world is a big, happy place. She doesn't deserve to have to handle this knowledge, doesn't deserve to be hardened by the truth," Curtis says. 

  "You don't know her like I do. She knows what's going on. Besides, it's hard harboring a secret from someone you love," I retort.

   "Rosalie," he sighs, exasperated, "you shouldn't tell her." 

  "What do you know? You've known her for two weeks," I shout.

  "Rosalie, come on, don't get angry. I've gotten to know her pretty well, and she's so sweet. Just don't," Curtis says flatly.

  "Fine," I reluctantly agree, silently stewing.

   We get home. Curtis stops me at the door. "What is it? It's late, you're annoying, I want to go to bed," I say. Curtis just looks at me for a moment, then lifts up my chin. He examines my face. I shift uncomfortably under his gaze. Staring right in to his face, I'm forced to acknowledge his handsomeness. His eyes are a soft green, the color of moss, of grass. His jaw is well-defined, but it never tenses in anger. His face is always calm, sweet, patient. I realize how unfair I've been to him. I make him deal with my mess of emotions and always take them out on him. Yet, he always is calm and sweet. He has never wronged me, never treated me like an imbecile. He has liked me, even when I have been utterly evil to him. I realize just how much I've subjected him to. I realize just how much I could like him if I opened myself up to it. I realize how I've built up so many walls against him, when he was really the one who could break down all of them. I realize how much I like him.

  He keeps looking at me, a million emotions playing out across his face. "Oh, Rosalie, why don't you realize it? Why don't you realize that the person you need is right there? Why don't you realize it's me?" he says softly, a tear streaming down his cheek. I see in that moment how much I've hurt him and it makes my heart hurt. I begin to cry myself. He gently wipes my tears away.

   "I just realized," I say. "I just did. You are the sweetest boy. I'm so sorry." He smiles. Then, very carefully, as if I'm something fragile, as if this moment is something fragile, he leans down and kisses me. This time, I kiss back. I suddenly realize that Mama's favorite saying was right. "You'll know when it's time to open your heart up."

 He wraps his arms around me and holds me against his chest. He whispers in my ear. "Rosalie, you have no idea how long I have waited for this." I do. I do realize. Because, subconsciously, I have waited just as long.

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I found two perfect songs for this chapter. Because sometimes you need a soundtrack.

1) "Kiss Me Slowly" by Parachute- Maybe it's the lyrics about "When the time comes...just kiss me slowly", but I feel like this song just sums up this chapter. (Video in sidebar.)

2) "Wonderwall" by Oasis- Okay, this time it's definitely the lyric "And after all, you're my wonderwall." I feel like in this chapter, Rosalie realizes that Curtis is her "wonderwall".