Hemlock Clan: What I Am

~ XXXVII ~

"Cameron," she muttered, her voice thick with emotion. "What's happened?"

Where the fuck should I start to answer that question?

I pulled away from her slowly, keeping my eyes down as I tried to blink away the tears that continued to roll down my face.

Taking my hand, Rosie led me through her apartment to her living room, guiding me to the sofa, sitting down next to me.

I leaned forward, pushed my elbows into my knees and my face into my hands.

She rubbed a hand up and down my back as she pressed close to me. Her head was resting on my shoulder and I could feel her warm breath on my neck.

The air conditioning unit was buzzing, blowing cool air across my hot skin. My damp hair was pressed against my forehead and long sleeves covered my arms, sticking to my skin.

We sat like that for a while. Me, trying to pull myself together, trying to stop the tears, the sobs. Rosie, sitting next me, no judgement, just comfort.

A sharp pain jabbed at my chest and I gasped, worrying that I would struggle to breathe again. Sitting up straight, I took a deep breath, relieved when I felt the air fill my lungs.

Fuck.

Rosie stood up and walked over to the small kitchen just off the living room. Returning a minute later with a bottle of wine and two glasses, she set them down on the coffee table in front of me and started to twist the cap on the bottle.

"My dad always used to tell me to open a bottle of wine and then let it sit for a minute," she said as she unscrewed the cap. "When I asked him why, he told me that we had to let the wine breathe before we could drink it." Grabbing one of the glasses, she began to pour. "I don't agree with that. Wine isn't for breathing." She placed that glass on the coffee table in front of me, then grabbed the other. "Wine is for drinking. Why open it if you're not gonna drink it straight away?"

She placed the bottle on the coffee table and raised her glass of wine. "Here's to drinking wine." She winked at me. "And lots of it.

Feeling a smile tug at my lips, I raised my glass and clinked it against hers. She took a large gulp, then burped loudly.

"Fuck," she muttered, then giggled. "Good job my dad isn't around to hear that."

Chuckling, I took a sip, then slouched back against the cushions of her comfy sofa, letting out a sigh.

"Me and Blake are over." It just came out.

Rosie glanced at me, her eyes wide. "What?" She settled herself next to me, her face still turned in my direction. "What do you mean, you're over?"

I shrugged, taking another sip from my glass. It may be Wednesday afternoon, but I needed something, anything, to help ease the pain that was stabbing my chest, tearing at my mind, drilling a hole in my soul.

And I hoped wine would help lessen that pain, if only for a bit.

"You can't be over." Rosie shook her head, her hair bouncing along with her head movements. "You guys are good together."

"Not any more." More tears threatened to spill, so I wiped them away, taking another sip from my glass.

"What happened?" Rosie squeezed my knee. "What the fuck got in the way of you two?"

"He's a monster," I whispered. It was true. He was a monster. I just wasn't sure what kind.

"Blake?" She sounded unsure. "Blake's a monster?"