Rose Winter (UNDER EDITING)

Oh God

"Let's get you in the bath okay?" I say childishly. I mouth thank you to Alex he smiles his big smile.

I wash her hair then wash her up in a bubble bath in Alex's room. I notice she has scars on her thighs, they look like scratches.

"What happened here?" I wash her thigh she shakes her head no.

"Are you going to talk to me again?" She looks at her feet.

"You can trust me I promise" I hold up my pinkie finger, she looks at it and hooks her pinkie around mines then shakes it.

"What happened here?" I ask again.

"Badman" She replies her voice is angelic.

"Your daddy?" I ask she shakes her head no.

"Mommy's boyfriend?" She shakes her head yes.

Anger coursed through my veins. Who the fuck would scar up a child like this? She's so innocent and sweet whoever he was he's going to pay for this. "Where did he touch you?".

She points to her thigh, arm, and the private part I immediately want to cry for her. I scrub her body then rinse her off.

"Well you don't ever have to worry about him again you hear me? No one will ever harm you ever again, your squeaky clean to start fresh okay?" She nods smiling her teeth were a bit yellow as she smiled.

"You scared of the man downstairs?".

"Yes," She admits.

"You don't have to be, he protects me as well as everyone in this house including you," I say.

I hear a chuckle from behind me, I turn around revealing a humored Alexander standing at the door.

"Stop eavesdropping it's not your style" I tease.

"You know what my style is" he replies winking.

My hands are shaking. I look at Malia as she shivers, the water is warm it takes me a second to register that she was still scared of Alex.

I can't blame her hell I was scared of him sometimes, I give Alex a look he takes one glance at Malia before understanding and leaving.

Her blonde/orange hair curls up shrinking into coils down her back. I take a towel and hold up it as I wrap her small figure in it, then wrap her hair in another.

As we walk out the bathroom Alex is nowhere to be found, but on the bed is a box of small clothes.

"What do you want to wear?" I ask her she was looking around the room.

I pull out jeans suggesting that, with a pink shirt that has Sleeping Beauty on the front of it.

She nods I put the shirt on her then try the jeans but they are too small.

I look at the rest of the pants that are in the box to see if their a bigger size. Apparently no there isn't, so I put a bright blue dress on her and put matching blue flats on her.

"Alex!" I yell no one answered, a ding sound fills my ears. "hold on" I tell Malia.

Getting my phone off the dresser I read the message

Alex yes love?

I typed clothes are too small Come up.

I get no reply but footsteps fill the hallway.

"You can buy what you want I got you your own credit card it's in your wallet" He announces walking in the room "Alex...you-".

"Don't start fighting me" He warns me I sigh giving up "thank you".

"Your welcome baby," He says then he looks at Malia she looks scared still.

"He won't hurt you" I assure her. Alex comes closer to her, "It's okay I'd never hurt you... I brought you bows and pretty ribbons for your hair".

He pulls out a pink bag from the box taking blue ribbons out the bag and showing her.

She smiles but makes no move to get them. "Go ahead their yours" I encourage her.

She takes them out his hand slowly, "What do you say?" I ask.

"Thank," She says quickly.

I'm about to correct her but something tells me not to.

"Want to do your hair with ribbons?" I ask.

She nods her head. "I guess I'll put breakfast up then," Alex says leaving the room.

I do her hair in two puff balls and wrap blue ribbons around them.

She has a circular face with big round greenish-brown eyes, I tell her to go to the mirror and look.

She obeys and smiles when she sees it then hugs me.

It shocks me at first but then I hug her back. "Let's go".

We walk downstairs and Alex is on his new computer sitting on the couch typing away.

I make her a sandwich cutting it up into fours then set it down at the table she eats silently.

I sit on the couch with Alex, as soon as I sit down he closes the computer.

I ignore that questioning gesture, "Where will she be sleeping?" I ask.

"Mya's room, for now, there
are rooms on the third floor but I don't want her on a floor alone".

"Get Gloria to sleep on the third floor" I suggest.

"No, she needs to be close to Katie".

"I'll sleep on the 3rd floor," I say he gives me a glare.

"We'll sleep on the 3rd floor?" I question correcting my mistake.

He smiles in content "spoiled ass" I mumble.

He laughs "says the one who always gets her way...and watch that mouth" he scoffs.

"Not always".

He sighs.

"sorry".

"It's ok your out of warnings anyway I'm done". He says and put his hand between my thighs, I gasp.

"Alex" I pull his hand away quickly looking at Malia, she's eating her 3rd piece of sandwich quietly looking at the Cars book Alex gave her.

"Who said you're allowed to pull my hand away?" he questions his voice getting deeper.

"Let's go upstairs Rose," He says grabbing my hand tightly and practically dragging me upstairs.

Oh, God.