Thorns

chapter seventeen.

rose.

I wanted to run and hide, all five pairs of eyes trained on me.

"What happened to your lip? Are you okay?!" One asked, before they even introduced themself they had to ask about my lip! Was it that bad?

"You've got blood all over your chin, love."

"Will you all just quit staring! It's fücking rude!" I shout, ignoring the pain from lip and stomping off, I hated them already. They had taken away Zayn, whisked him off into a world where he forgot about me.

I didn't know where to run off to, finally deciding on the fairly large garden, throwing open the door and making my way out in bare feet. I wiggle my toes in the grass, still dewy from last nights shower. I amuse myself for a few minutes longer until I hear company behind me. I step further on into the garden, not bothering to look back.

"Rosie, you can't keep running away from your problems." I ignore him, staring at the bush in front of me.

"Why the fück is there a rose bush in your garden." I turn around to glare at him, his eyes looking down in guilt.

"Perrie likes roses."

"Oh right. It's okay. I'm not your only Rose anymore. It's okay. I'm cool with it. I just- ouch." I seriously needed something for my lips, they were chapped and it being split wasn't helping. My finger goes up, daringly poking my lip.

"You're going to make it worse." Zayn tells me, coming closer to me.

"Don't, it's fine." I tell him, stepping away from him and the rose bush. I was stupid to even think that he still kept that promise. Memories clouded my mind as my eyes wandered back to the red flowers...

~*~

"Come on Zayn! Your mum's coming home soon!" I rush, watching him flick the lighter once more before the small flame ignited.

We watched as he lit a small leaf, until it grew, all across the rose bush until it was a ball of flame. We heard shouting but we were already running, laughing; hands entwined like rose thorns.

"You have to promise me Zayn, I'm the only Rose in your life, no matter how big or small."

"Got it, Rosie, you know you're always going to be my enchanted rose." He pecked the corner of my lip, smiling happily that he had remembered something from the film we had just watched.

"Still can't believe you fell asleep in Beauty and the Beast." I shake my head, my grin still on my face.

"You're too comfy, couldn't resist." He grinned, nudging me slightly. My eyes travel to a rose bush in the nearby park, my nose scrunching at the sight of it.

"Why do the roses need bushes." I crinkle my nose once more.

"The thorns are lucky to have their rose. The bush is lucky to have its roses." He grinned, wrapping an arm tightly around me as we made it to our alley way, graffiti plastering high on the brick walls.

~*~

"My mum grounded me for ages over that." Zayn's voice invades my thoughts, my eyes snapping up to meet his. We were thinking of the same memory.

"Well that was the past, I'm no longer the only Rose, I'm no longer your Rose."

"Rose, we can get through this, you-"

"We can't, Zayn. You're engaged, that's an amazing commitment, you love her and she loves you. Love is something so beautiful, you can't break it."