ROSES & THORNS

- 4 3 -

"I'm sorry for crossing the line."

I gulped and looked at Gareth looking at my phone screen with his jaw clenched. He looked up at me and gave me a small smile. "Answer him. And fix things." 

I answered the message.

"I'm sorry for snapping like that. Can you come over to my place tonight? We need to talk about a few things." 

I hit send and waited for an answer. The phone chimed and I saw his message.

"Alright. I'll be there at 8." 

I closed my phone sighing and relaxing into Gareth's embrace.

"I have some work to catch up on. See you Gareth." Lance got up and left and didn't know when I fell asleep in Gareth's arms.

I woke up to someone clearing their throat and opened my eyes slightly to see Adam standing over me. 

I looked around, blinking a few times and saw myself lying beside Gareth on the couch. My back facing his chest while he slept peacefully with his arms around me, and my leg on top of his, a blanket barely covering us. 

It was a compromising position to be honest, and I felt the heat rise to my cheeks.

I whispered slowly. "Gareth? Gareth, wake up." He turned a bit and looked at me before smiling then looking above his head at Adam staring down at us with his jaw clenched and anger clear in his eyes. 

He groaned in frustration. 

"Belle, I can see the devil in my dreams. You're there too." He whispered to me and I giggled.

"You're not dreaming. I'm here, get up." Adam said through clenched teeth making me chuckle and Gareth stirred, getting up slowly and holding me close so I wouldn't fall.

"I slept well, didn't you B?" He asked me innocently and I could feel Adam glaring daggers in Gareth's head.

"Hush Gareth. And get up, you've been drooling all over my couch." I laughed at him and shoved him away playfully when Adam cleared his throat again.

"I f I may have your attention, I need to speak with Rose immediately." He said and walked over to us.

Rose. He called me Rose again.

"Alright, alright, I'm going." He got up and looked at me. 

"Fix it. I'll be in Arthur's room raiding his closet if you need me." I smiled at him before he left, facing Adam and giving him all my attention. He sat down on the couch opposite me and looked at me intently. 

"Thank you for coming. I need to apologize first. About how I acted today in the office. Something came over me and I didn't mean what I said." I said and looked at him.

"You didn't?" He asked me confused.

"No. Truth is, I'm afraid... of you." I didn't look him in the eyes this time but I felt him come over and sit beside me. He spoke after a while.

"Why are you afraid of me?" He asked slowly.

I thought about my next words carefully. I didn't want to hurt him.

"You're amazing, and I can't stop thinking about you but I'm afraid of caring and feeling more than I'm supposed to." When he didn't answer I continued on.

Time to rip the band-aid off.

Band-aids don't fix bullet holes. I'm actually relating myself to a Taylor Swift song right now.

Tay would be so proud.

My friend Tay, not Taylor Swift.

I shake my head and will myself to speak to Adam who is now staring at me very intently, waiting for me to start speaking.