𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬 • 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡é𝐞 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐭

67

peaches

ROSA HELD HER nose as tears welled up in her eyes. Now her nose was streaming with blood. They'd had to stay inside the past week. Mainly because of Rosa's condition. She felt how she did before her diagnoses. And some part of her knew that it had slowly crept back.

Timmy opened the door to their hotel room after visiting the local shop, his carrier bags instantly hitting the floor, arms flying around Rosa as she sobbed quietly into his shoulder. The blood and tears mixed, staining his once grey jacket.

"It's okay, it's okay." He shushed her as she rocked backwards and forwards in his arms. She shook her head.

"It's not okay. It's never going to be okay." She pulled away. "It's back Timothée. I know it's back. I can sense it." Her hands went to her hair as she gripped it, pulling out clumps with both palms. "Look at me! I'm disgusting." The hair scattered across the floor. "Why would you ever want to be with me where there are many perfect Italian girls just outside this window, many who are dying to meet you and touch you and kiss you and love you the way I'm doing right now."

"Hey hey hey." Timothée shushed Rosa, grabbing onto her cheeks. She shook her head, pushing them off.

"No. Just leave." Rosa turned away, looking out the window.

"What? But I don't want to-"

"Just get out! Please!" Rosa turned around, pointing to the door. "Just leave me alone. Okay?"

Timothée was hurt. He felt the tears well up in his eyes and he slowly walked towards the door. He was hurt that the girl he assumed he loved and assumed loved him back and just kicked him out from their hotel room whilst they were on holiday together in the place they wanted to go to together.

He turned back around.

His strides were wide as he stormed over to the sobbing girl, and picked her up, piece by piece, holding her to his chest, shushing her gently.

"I don't want anyone else. I want you." Timothée whispered. "I love you."