Rose and the Thorn (Fallen Tales series)

Chapter 26

Chapter 26
Rose
For the last couple of days, Patrick stayed in his room. It reminded me of Dad's 'off days'. He would stay in his room till he was well enough to leave. Some days he was the loving father I knew but other days he wouldn't even look at me. When he was first diagnose with dementia, the doctor said that it was mostly cause from his depression. I did my best to look after him, but it got too hard. I guess it does for everyone at some point.
As Jenson passed me in the hall, I took this as an opportunity to ask him about Patrick.
"Jenson, how's Patrick?"
I clutched the broom in my hands as I waited nervously for the answer.
He sighed, "Better than yesterday, worse than the day before. He'll get better."
He went to leave but I caught him.
"How do you know?" I asked remembering how it felt like when Dad never got better.
Jenson shrugged, "because he always does. Yes, in the first years, his worse days were months on end but I'm always thankful for the days that he could at least get out of bed."
My eyes widen with surprise, "he couldn't even leave his room. Why?"
"I guess everywhere he looked reminded him of his family."
"I know the feeling."
Another reason why I left America.
"You can go talk to him, if you want to?" he suggested.
I suddenly felt a panic, "no, no. he doesn't want me bothering him."
"That's funny, because he's been asking after you."
I could feel my heart start to pound. Was he really asking after me?
Jenson gave me a half-hearted smile and went on his way.
I felt like a rocket waiting to burst. I leaned on one foot and then the other deciding what to do. Well everybody knew what I was going to do.
I turned up the hall and basically leaped up the stairs. But everything changed when I got to the little hall that led to his bed room door. My body went into a ghostly sate and I let everything but my mind take control. I pushed a little of the door open just so I could see him. He slept peacefully making my heart pound even more than it already was.
It took everything I had not to curl into bed next to him. He seemed in pain but he could sleep through it. I pushed the door open enough for my body to fit as I slid down the doorframe.
What was I doing? Do I ever really know?
Can't one time in my life, I know what I'm doing? Know where I was going and how I was going to get there. Why was everything so complicated? Why couldn't I just work here, without having feelings for him? If you could call them feelings.
As I looked at him, I wondered what it was about him that made my heart race. His beautiful blue eyes, short blonde hair, damaging past and soul ripping scars.
Why did I always pick the wrong guys?
With Kobey, he was controlling, aggressive and made me become a person I didn't want to be. An alcoholic that had no future.
But Patrick was wrong on a whole different level. He was protective, respectable, loving and right for me in every way possible. But he was so out of my liege.
When I heard him grumble and I knew my time was up.

Patrick
I woke up feeling someone's eyes on me. But when I woke up nobody was there. The door was wide opened and I knew that it wasn't like that when I fell asleep. My door was always closed and Jenson knew that. What was he thinking for him not to remember that?
I got up in aim to shut the door but stopped when I spotted Rose's iPod on the floor. I picked it up and frowned. She must have dropped it. But why was she up here? Without realizing I had just grey sweat pants on and an old, dark moss t-shirt, I headed down the stairs.
I spotted Rose sweeping the void. I walked behind her till she had no choice but to back into me. Her whole body tensed up as she felt my body against her back. I placed the iPod in her face.
"Are you missing this?" I asked.
She turned to face me.
"Ah yes, I must have dropped it when I was cleaning the window by your room."
I watched her eyes flow down my body making my muscles want to flex for her. I shook the iPod in front of her eyes to get her attention back to my face. Her eyes were wide as if she didn't realize what she was doing.
"Where is your bucket?" I asked.
"I've put it away. I've finished cleaning the windows. Now can I have my iPod back?"
I laughed at how naive she was.
"Come here and get it."
I raised my arm up making it impossible for her to reach.
"Seriously you're going to –," She jump to reach it but it was well out of her reach.
"Is this doing something for you?" She asked as I watched her body jump up and down.
"I don't know."
Trust me, I knew.
"Come on, Patrick. It's not funny," she whined.
"I disagree," I said laughing.
She groaned and stopped jumping.
"Fine you keep it."
She turned and started to walk away from me. Without thinking, I wrapped an arm around her, locking her against my body. Our breathing became heavy as I felt something inside me come alive. I served the iPod on my open hand in front of her. She didn't take it.
"Take it," I whispered in her ear. I felt her let out a breath that she had been holding.
Once she had taken it, I said, "That wasn't so hard now, was it?"
I still had my arm around her little body.
"You made it easy for me,"
It was like she had forgotten what I was doing before.
"You were going to give up. Do you always give up when things get hard?" I asked.
"Only when things aren't worth fighting for."
"Than what's worth fighting for?" I asked. She turned to face me not leaving my grip.
I felt the softest touch on my lips that I could have imagined it. I felt it again and again. Till I realized what it was, I quickly reacted. I cupped the back of her head forcing her to keep going. My lips flicked hers in a slow and relaxing motion. Over and over, I kissed her. Again and again I tasted her mouth. I wanted nothing more but to relive this over and over. My forehead pressed against hers as we took in what had just happened.
"Wow," I said trying to catch my breath.
"That's an understatement. I've been wanting to kiss you since I kissed you three weeks ago," she admitted.
"I've been wanting to kiss you since I kissed you three weeks ago."
She laughed. It wasn't till then that I realized I still had my arms wrapped around her.
"Don't let go," she quickly said as if reading my mind.
"Never Rose. I could never let go of you."