Finding The Real Rose (#1)

14|Fucked Up

"So, what did you and my dad talk about?"

I slowly shifted my gaze from the star filled sky and looked over at the curious eyed man.

We had left the reception about an hour ago and were now sitting on the edge of the cliff he had brought me to on our first full day here; sitting comfortably beside one another as the waves crashed in the darkness.

His dad's words had been continuously floating through my head after our conversation to a point I was deep in thought for the remainder of our time at said reception.

I give him a tight smile, as the milky moon illuminated our faces with its bright light.

"Just what I do. Where I live. How we met." I listed of with a small shrug and he snorts.

"Please, Rose. You can't think that I don't have a clue he said something particular. Why else would you be so spaced out?"

Damn it.

I hated that he already knew me so well.

I sigh.

"Did you know that your father was friends with my parents?"

Talon slowly looked away from me as he played with his fingers. Realization dawned on me.

I gave a laugh. "You did!"

Talon became stiff, turning back to me with a defensive look. "Not at first! It wasn't until I was talking about you to mom and then showed her a picture when she asked what you looked like! If I had known we'd practically spent our whole childhood together I would've told you!"

I narrow my eyes. "Yet when you found out, you didn't tell me!"

He gave an exasperated sigh. "I found out the day I told Mom and Dad you were going to be my date to the wedding yesterday night. I had already told Giselle, but she didn't know who you were! It's not exactly something you tell someone over text."

I frown, looking away from him.

"I'm sorry." I finally whisper and he sighs, wrapping an arm around my waist to pull me closer to his side.

"No, I'm sorry. I should have told you this morning." Talon responds guiltily and I lay my head against his shoulder.

"Growing up, my parents never really cared about me. Their main focus was always on Ace, seeing as he's heir to the company, especially after mom realized I'd never be the perfect model daughter she had dreamed and hoped for. Ace and I were really close at one point. We grew up stuck hip to hip and we watched one another's back. He took my to all my dance classes, to all my recitals. He gave me hope in myself that I could do whatever I wanted, that I was made to do interior like I had always dreamed. He was there when my first and only boyfriend broke my heart and he was the only person there when I graduated high school. Mom and dad were there for everything when it came to him. The football games, the award ceremonies, the graduation. I never envied him. Not until I grew older and realized just how in the wrong my parents were. And I didn't shut them out of my life until the night Ace practically told me that I was worthless. That I needed to butt out of the life that I was never meant for."

Talon stayed quiet for a moment and I sat, listening to his steady heartbeat and the waves.

"Why?" He whispered.

I smiled a small bitter smile.

"I walked in on his fiancé fucking his supposed best friend, Ryan. He didn't believe me when I told him and he explained to me how he didn't need me in his life causing trouble and that I should just leave." I shrug my shoulders nonchalantly.

"So I did."

He sucked in a breath. "That's fucked up."

I hum in response.

"You can always run now before you get in too deep." I finally say and he stays silent. It was almost as if he was contemplating doing so and I really didn't blame him.

I was fucked up. My life was fucked up.

He didn't need all of my baggage in his perfectly fine life.

"No. If anything, I want to stay. Permanently." He finally spoke and I pulled back to look into his eyes.

"What?" I ask softly and he nods his head.

"You're an amazing woman, Rose. The perfect woman and just because you have a rough background doesn't make me think any less of you. I know you. The real you. And you are worth so much more than you've been given in this life of yours." He leans in closer, causing my breathing to hitch just like it did on the dance floor when we shared that kiss.

"Let me be the love you've never been given. Let me show you just how much you deserve. My life might as well be worthless itself if I don't have you in it."

"What?" I rasp and he smiles charmingly.

"You don't know what you do to me, Bellissima. Every time you come near me, my heart threatens to burst from my chest. Every time you look at me, I can't breathe. Every time you touch me, I get these shivers down my spine and I can't help it. You are pure torcher to me and call me sadistic, but I love it. I love us." He goes quiet for a minute as his eyes search mine urgently.

"I love you."

My eyes are wide, looking into his with shock and pure excitement coursing through my veins.

"You love me?" I let out slowly and he nods.

"I do."

"You barely know me-"

He scoffs. "Don't give me that bullshit, Rose."

I freeze before slowly letting myself sag. "I just don't get it."

"And you don't have to. I know how I feel and nothing you say or do can change that." He tells me straight up and a small smile finds it's way into my lips before I meet his eyes once again.

"You truly are something else, Mr. Bales." I tell him and he smirks, shrugging his shoulders as he gazed out into the dark.

"Eh, what can I say," he looks over at me with a glint in his silver eyes. "I try."

I snort, hitting my shoulder against his.

We go back to our comfortable silence before he sighs loudly, lifting himself up off the ground before extending a hand towards me.

"Shall we?"

I allow him to help lift me up and dust myself off before intertwining our fingers and pulling him back towards the car.

Once we're back in the Jeep, he looks over at me.

"Be my girlfriend." He tells me abruptly and I give a shocked laugh.

"What?" I exclaim giddily and he nods, turning his body towards me and taking both of my hands into his.

"I love you and though you may not love me yet, I know you like me. We live in two different places, I know that, but we can find a way to make this work. Just please, do me the honors of becoming my girlfriend?"

I don't respond, I just sit whilst gawking like a moron.

"Please, Rose?"

Before I know it, a large smile blooms across my lips and I start nodding.

"Yes."