Beauty & The Beast (Editing)

23.

"Are you busy tomorrow?" Rose questioned Roscoe. Roscoe was laying on his stomach and Rose was on top of him giving him a oiled back massage.

With his tired eyes closed he answered, "No."

"Can you do me a favor?" She asked massaging her small knuckles into his tensed back making him groan in pleasure.

"What do you need?" He asked falling asleep during their conversation.

"My dad has his first physical therapy appointment and he can't drive there yet, and I have cheerleading practice. If you could go with him that would mean a lot to me." She replied.

"I'll go," he mumbled.

"Thank you. I owe you."

The following day, after school Roscoe headed to take David to his physical therapy appointment.

When they arrived Roscoe assisted David from the car to the wheelchair. He still wasn't strong enough to do everything by himself.

Sometimes he felt embarrassed that he needed help with simple things like getting out of a car.

"Thanks.." he mumbled before rolling to the entrance of the building.

Roscoe followed behind him and opened the door for him. David signed in at the front desk and waited in the waiting room with Roscoe.

"How's school going?" David asked sparking up a conversation.

Roscoe locked his phone giving David his attention, "It's going fine. I've always been good at school. It's just too damn long," Roscoe joked causing a smile to appear on David's lips.

"That's why after I finished I was done. If it wasn't for my mom I wouldn't even went to graduation," David chuckled hearing his name.

"We'll be back before you know it." He said following the nurse to the back.

Roscoe toyed with his phone until he noticed a message he had received a message in his direct messages.

It was Nia.

It was a what you doing
message, but he still ignored it and exited out the application. He did not want to get mixed up what that girl.

Almost two hours, David finally was finished with physical therapy. Him and Roscoe stopped to get some lunch before heading back to the house.

"How was the appointment?" Roscoe asked eating one of his cheese fries he had ordered.

"It was fine.. they're working on my upper body strength so I can have a normal every day life." Roscoe nodded he understood the emptiness in David's voice.

"Rose birthday is coming up.. what do you have planned," David asked sipping his orange Fanta.

"Nothing right now.." Roscoe confessed.

David shoulders jumped from laughter, "Thats not the right answer. Rose doesn't play with birthdays especially hers," He chuckled.

"Trust I know. She already fussed at me about it," Roscoe shook his head with his dreads following his motion.

"I bet.. I would suggest a birthday party but we both know that's a good idea since the other one went to shits." Roscoe nodded biting into his crispy chicken tender.

"How about a surprised dinner party?" Roscoe suggested. "We should all act as if we forgot it's her birthday." Roscoe suggested.

David nodded, "Shes going to be hotter than a hot tamale." Roscoe nodded laughing with David.

"To be honest, I've been thinking about what you said about leaving the hood life and having a career as an officer..."

"But.."

"But.. there's no way out of the crew I'm in. It's only one way out and that's dying literally. It's a life commitment thing, I would literally have to leave my entire life here and go somewhere else."

"And what's wrong with that?" David asked.

Roscoe sighed and thought about it.

It was a good question.

What was wrong with leaving? There was nothing else here for him... except Rose but he knew she didn't plan on staying in NY forever.

Moving was actually an option.

••••

"Hey! How are you doing?" Rose asked Diane as she entered Roscoes apartment. The house was more laid out then it was before he moved in. It was more comfortable.

"Good, how are you?" Diana asked smiling while she finished up dinner.

"Fine," Rose smiled joining Roscoe in the living room.

"Miss me?" She asked leaned forward placing a kiss on his lips.

"I did.." he said watching her take a seat beside him. She sat on the sofa and slid her Nike runners off, she then propped her feet on him.

"How was practice?" He asked noticing she had finished taking a shower.

"Great! How was your day with my dad?" She asked strolling through her cellphone.

"It's was nice." He said looking back up at the movie he was watching before she came on.

"That makes me so happy! I love that my favorite two men are getting along!" She grinned removing her legs from his lap and standing up.

He grabbed her hips when she tried to walk by, "Where you going?" He asked looking up at her.

"Bed, I'm tired."

"You good? You already ate and everything?"

"Yeah, I ate when I was out."

"Cool, goodnight.." she leaned downward and placed her lips on his. Her arms dangled around his shoulder while his hand held her hip. There lips lingered for a short moment before she pulled away.

"I love you."

"I love you too," he mumbled watching her go the direction of the kitchen to chat with Diane for a moment.

Roscoe crossed his arms over his chest and drowned in his thoughts.

When did she start showering at school or eating out?

Don't think to much into it..

"Roscoe." He lifted his eyes up to see his mother handing him a plate of spaghetti.

"Thanks ma," he mumbled taking the plate.

She joined him on the couch.

It's been a few months since she's been clean again but Roscoe wanted to put her a program to make sure she wouldn't relapse.

"Where did you just go then?"

He shook his head, "No where. Just thinking..." he mumbled ignoring the questions that kept popping up.

He trusted Rose and that was all that mattered.