Rose

Chapter 8 - Something to call home

**Thankyou Crazy_staR__ for this amazing cover! Love it!**

A/N- We're back to Rose's POV from this chapter onwards, until I tell otherwise.

"So, you want a beer Rosie?" Jake asked still not looking away from the refrigerator.

"Nah, I don't drink"

At that, he looked up at me and smiled.

"You'll eventually need to since you're gonna be stayin' with this man here" he pointed at Derek and winked.

I smile and look away.

I know what anyone with sane minds would think. That I'm stupid, an idiot. How could I be so normal after what they did to me? Especially when I'm sitting here with broken ribs and a wrist!

Well, what else am I supposed to do? I'm stuck here, I'd rather not make my life any more complicated than it already is. Plus, Jake did apologise. And considering nobody has ever bothered about me for the past 18 years, I'd say I'm cool with whatever I get.

"Why will she need to drink if she's staying with me?" Derek asks Jake in his ever-so blunt tone. Is he always so bored and rude?

"Because you're a pain in the ass, didn't I just say that? catch up, man" Jake dismisses him like a child and goes on to open 3 cans of beer. I can't tell which ones though.

I look at Derek to see his reaction to Jake's insult and am surprised when I see him smiling to himself. So these were his guys. His friends, his confidantes, and infront of them he didn't bother being the leader. This thought warmed me. But somehow I ended up envying him. Even with what he did for a living, he still had them. They were a family. I, on the other hand, never hurt anyone intentionally and still had no-one to call family.

I get out of my thoughts at the sound of laughter. The guys are all laughing at some joke that Jake cracked. Even Derek. I couldn't help but look at him like that. His eyes had sparkle in them, his face looked content...the corner of his eyes were wet because of how hard he was laughing. If I thought he was gorgeous before then I don't know what to call him now. His chiseled looks, his over grown beard all made him look like a Greek god. I smiled subconciously at the picture perfect man.

His eyes find mine and he stops laughing. I was caught staring at him and I should be embarrassed but I'm not. Instead I continue staring at him not breaking our precious eye contact. I think, nah, I'm sure Jake's sharing a story because I can hear him in the background but I can't make out his words.

Derek's looking at me like I hold a secret. His gaze falls on to my lips and then he looks up again into my eyes. His lips part open in an attempt to make a sound but nothing comes out. So, he licks his lips and lays back smugly on the couch with both his hands spread on the arm rest. Still not taking his eyes off mine.

I don't know how long we've been looking at eachother. I don't understand how I feel about it... I'm kind of ticklish, every part of my body is on fire and yet I'm cold? If I were a dog, I'd be wagging my tail non-stop or even lying down for a belly rub right now.

It's obvious I'm smitten by him and he knows.

I don't know how long we'd been looking at eachother but Kuru's voice snapped us both back to reality. I looked at Kuru like I'd just woken up from a dream. And to my surprise, so did Derek.

Really? Did I do that to him?

"...I'm saying eat your food before it gets cold!" Kuru obviously wasn't saying this for the first time. It looked like he had been trying to get my attention for a few minutes now.