Cold Devotion | ✔️

Chapter Twenty-One

Colton

Laying in bed with Rose has to be one of the best things I have ever experienced. The feeling of being so close to her is better than any other feeling, I want nothing more than to never leave this bed and to never leave her.

She's laying with her head on my chest and she's tracing the several tattoos on my arms. Electricity runs through me whenever she touches me and it breathes life into me. So much has happened in the last month, stuff we never even thought would happen even in a lifetime. I run my fingers through her hair, wondering how I got so lucky to be granted her.

I don't want to ruin her. That's the thing that scares me the most... that she will get to know the real me, the parts I don't want to show. There's already so much darkness consuming her and to be a burden to her would kill me.

"I need to get in the shower," she sits up and I rub her back. She's noticeably skinnier and it pains me to see her this way. As soon as she is ready to tell me everything, I will make sure her tool of a best friend is safe and then I will put together a plan to take down this Michael Hisan.

"I'll go get us something to eat," I say and she nods before padding to the bathroom with a bed sheet wrapped around her body.

***

Rose

The hot water cascades down my body and I lean my forehead against the wall. I can't deny my feelings for Colton any longer but I'm scared that I care too much. I can't imagine Colton being in love with anyone... especially me, not after the past we share. We've hated each other from the moment we first locked eyes. But I can't help but love him. The idea of loving the person I loathe confuses me but there's no denying it.

I'm more confused about how I can love someone who kills and tortures people without remorse, without any care in the world. He killed someone close to me, someone who I loved, not hours ago.

Yes, Dylan was not the nicest of people but I still shared so many memories with him and he was the first person who showed me what it felt like to be loved - even though it wasn't real.

But I never knew what love was then, I still don't now but this feels more than real. He does things to me that no one else ever has, my body responds to him in ways that I never knew possible. His touch, the sound of his voice, everything about him.

He consumes my thoughts, even when I don't want him to.

I find myself thinking about him constantly and before I just brushed it aside, but now it's too hard to ignore and I don't want to.

***

Colton returns to my room, food in hand. I hadn't realised how hungry I was until the delicious aroma fills my bedroom. "Burgers and fries," he winks and walks towards my bed. He hands me a burger and my mouth practically waters.

"Thank you," I say and we both dig into our food. It tastes just as heavenly as it looks. We eat in silence and something feels off. I hope this won't be awkward between us.

"Are you okay?" we both say at the same time and laugh. I love hearing him laugh, it's a rare occurrence but that's what makes it so special.

"Is this gonna be weird now?" I ask the question that I am dreading the answer to.

I don't want it to be weird but I feel like it will be.

"It doesn't have to be, love," there's something in his eyes... lust, hate, love? I can never tell what he is feeling. "It can be whatever you want it to be," he says, his voice low and husky.