Dangerously Sweet.

Chapter twentynine: Love and chances.

Rose's POV

 “Shh!” I turned around and put a finger to my lips.

“Sorry Rose. We're all just really excited about this.” Lina smiled at me.

“You guys may be but I am not. Why didn't anyone tell me my lil bro had a crush on her? I wouldn't have made a move if I did.” Joseph said grumpily. He didn't find out until we followed Caden and Acacia into the woods. That's when we told him. I didn't know what he was talking about. I shook my head at him and returned to looking at Acacia and Caden starring at each other on the ground.

Acacia started to move slowly towards Caden. We all thought she was going to kiss him. We watched as she came to stop just inches from his face. Second later we heard a very audible SLAP! Acacia slapped Caden across the face. I had half a mind to go over there and scream at her but Lina and Joseph held me back. Why did she slap him? I thought she liked him too!

Acacia stood up and started heading towards the trees. Caden stood up and grabbed her wrist. He yanked her towards him hard and squished her against himself. “Why did you do that?” Caden almost yelled. He was mad. He was hurt.

“Don't.” Acacia whispered into his chest.

He grabbed her by her shoulders and held her at arm’s length so he could see her face. “What?”

“Don't.” Acacia said more forcefully.

“Don't what?”

“Don't love me!” Acacia screamed up at Caden.

“Don't tell me not to love you! I'll love you if I want to!” He paused for a second as if he suddenly remembered something. “Why don't you want me to love you?”

Acacia didn't say anything. She turned to walk away and got a few paces away before my brother stopped her. He turned her around and told her to him why she said that. He grabbed her shoulders when she turned to leave again. She tried pushing him away but my brother wasn't easily moved. When she didn't stop resisting he pushed her up against a tree and asked her again. She tried slapping him again but he pinned her arms to her waist with one hand. She squirmed and tried to get loose with no avail. He asked her again why she had said that.

“Because! Because I'm not worth it! I don't deserve to be loved! I don't deserve love! I'm not allowed to fall in love and I'm not allowed to care this much! I shouldn't be allowed to be happy! That's why I hit Jared and don't want to talk to Lyle! I don't deserve any of you! Why do you all have to be so stupid and love me? I'm nothing but a walking dead corpse! I should be dead! None of you know what I've been through, what I've done and what I've seen! I'm so low and despicable that I don't even deserve anyone's pity! I'm so low when people and my friends started to avoid me I didn't blame them! I was glad they did because I'm nothing but a disgusting little worm! I rather save my self than stand up for what I believe in! I don't understand how you and Rosemary and your idiot of a family could ever stand to be around me! It pisses me off! You should all be going out of your way to avoid me not the other way around! Why can't any of you understand that? Why do you have to be so freaking persistent? Why can't you leave a worthless piece of shit alone? I hate Lyle and Jared. I hate Joseph, Lina, Rose, Tristen, Edward, and your mom. Most of all I hate Rosemary and you! Just leave me alone! Let me die already! I don't deserve any of you in my life and I don't understand why you're still here!” Acacia was struggling for breath and probably for sight. She was crying. Something I thought I probably would never see was her cry. She seemed so tough.

“You’re crying.” Caden starred shocked and horrified at Acacia. Still his grip didn't loosen.

“To hell with my pride. Tonight I want to cry! All you idiot's keeping forcing your way into my life! Don't any of you understand I don't want you in it! I build a wall and you guys keeping throwing bombs at it! Can't you just accept defeat and give up? Just let me go! Don't you understand anything?”