For Rose, With Love

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 32

But still for some reason, a small part of me believes it was true.

"Okay" A shaky voice comes out of my throat and I look away from his intense gaze and hear him chuckling.

His eyes hold so much power over me that it still makes me hot and flustered.

"What about you? Why are you still single? " Ivan questions straightening beside me.

"I'm not interested in dating"

Lie.

"Lie" Ivan says and I snap my head towards him. So quick that my hair flies dramatically.

"What? "

"You're scared to fall in love, thinking someone will break your heart" Ivan replies, his eyes never leaving mine. His voice is sure like he sees right through me.

"No one can love a girl whose heart was first broken by her father then brother" A flash of bitter smile passes my face.

"What's hurting you rose? " Ivan's face full of questions and his voice eager.

Everything

"No one hurts me, callum." I deny answering his question.

My eyes burn with such high intensity that I have to press my palms.

"You can talk to me" He murmured "if you want you can talk to me"

And for some reason I started talking.

"Seven years ago, my mom cheated on my dad and ran away. Somewhere with someone she was in love with. My dad couldn't bear the betrayal and started drinking. As a result, I because an easy target for him to take his anger out on. He started abusing me and my brother jameson." I turn my head to look at ivan and his face is void of any expression. His eyes soft that urges me to continue.

"Jameson left me behind and ran away too with his girlfriend which led to my dad getting angrier because there was no source of income. I started a job to calm him down but he...

Words stuck in my throat and I feel choky to continue. Leaning forward Ivan takes my hand in his hands rubbing soothing circles on my palm.

"... He started using my money for alcohol and drugs. From the past one year I've been saving without letting him know and moved out recently and started living on my own" Tears streak down my cheeks and my lip quivers.

I close my eyes and I am suddenly pulled by Ivan into his chest. Hard, warm and comforting chest.

A sob escapes my mouth and his hands move from my back to my head keeping it closer to him and in place.

"Grey doesn't last forever, rose. You've come this far by yourself and things will definitely get even better for you in the future" His chest rumbles as I feel his lips on my forehead and my eyes squeezed shut.

Warmth settles inside my lower belly at feeling of his arms around me.

I listen to his frantically pounding heart through his tshirt and I knew what he said is true.

Grey doesn't last forever.

His words crawl under my skin and he doesn't even have an idea about what I am feeling right now.

We don't speak, he just holds me there till I get back to my normal self. Sniffing amd wiping my nose I pull away, hesitant to look in his eyes.

I watch as he walks put of the room and comes back with a glass of water. My heart is in a puddle at the sight of such a petty act.

"You didn't poison this, did you? "My scratchy voice contained a hint of my usual sass.

" Just drink the damn water, rose" Ivan sighs as distress carved tiny grooves in his smooth forehead.

"Anyways, enough about the past. It is getting too depressing for me" My attempt to lighten up the mood goes invain since Ivan looks even more uncomfortable.

"You wouldn't make a half-bad therapist" I nudge his knee with mine and a shadow of a smile ghosts his handsome face and he looks up to look into my eyes.

"I'd make a really bad therapist, trust me. I have a really bad experience about my own life so how can you expect me to give advice on someone else's life" Ivan mutters beside me and a bubble of laugh erupts from my throat.

Throwing my head back I laugh looking at the man beside me who is watching me with a unreadable expression on his face. Tears form in my eyes yet again even though there is a huge grin on my face. Ivan's smile falters looking at me.

Pulling the tray of coffee and cookies towards us he pushes it towards me.

"Eat"

"I'm not hungry"

"Eat, you may need energy to insult me later" Chuckling at him I break a piece of cookie and plopping it in my mouth.

"You're already acting like a doctor and I hate it" I tell him scoffing and it's his turn to flash his criminally beautiful dimples.

"I'll take that as a compliment"

"Huh! You take everything as a compliment, because I'm extremely lovable" He tells me shrugging and I laugh at him again.

"I hate narcissist men" I tell him and his eyes glint with amusement.

We start working on our project in a companion silence for rest of the two hours and it was finally time for me to leave.

But leaving him today felt different from everyday.

Done bidding goodbye to Isabel and kyle Ivan walks me towards my car.

"I like your parents" I tell him and he smiles at me. It was one of the sweetest smiles he has ever given me.

We reach my car and I turn to him.

"Thank you" I mutter, my voice gravelly a whisper.

His lips twitch. Blink. Gone.

"Just because your father didn't love you, doesn't mean no other man could. " He says
"You are not hard to love, rose. You just asked the wrong person to do it"

Ivan takes my hand in his and brings it to his lips giving it a feather light kiss he turns and leaves with a glance at me.

The weight of his lips linger on my hand and a cage of butterflies are set open in my stomach.

I get settled in my car and a stupid grin takes over my face.

You're not hard to love.

Maybe he is right.

Or maybe...