A Force Of Gravity✅

21

-Will-Present-

"And she's tryin' to make a devil out of me."
-Black Magic Women by Fleetwood Mac

"She runs a charity for children that have been abandoned by their parents." Rose exclaims slowly, gesturing her hands around in disbelief and takes another shot. "How big of an irony is that?"

After Rose ran away from her mother, we found ourselves at a local bar because we didn't want to risk being caught at our hotel one. It isn't a particularly posh one so we look out of place in our evening wear.

Rose looks gorgeous, which is a little distracting. Her tanned legs are crossed over on her chair. Her cheeks are flushed from the alcohol she keeps consuming. Her dress flows down her body and chair and her hair cascades down her back. She also looks miserable.

Usually when I come out drinking, the boys stay silent or joke around as we have drink after drink. But as I'm silently drinking, Rose keeps going over and over the events of tonight. I can tell seeing her mother has affected her terribly and now she won't stop drinking away her worries.

"My mother runs a charity for kids being abused. I understand how you feel." I mumble in response and take a sip of whiskey. Rose laughs but it comes out sorrowful and dejected.

"Look at us. We are rich, young and healthy...and miserable. All because of our parents. It's pathetic." She complains.

"Why do you think I drink?"

"It must have been nice to be away at boarding school." She murmurs drunkly and I glance at her. I've don't think she's looked so miserable since her mum left. "Especially to get away from your parents, and me."

"I didn't leave because of you, Rosebud." I say but she doesn't look convinced. If I'm being honest, part of the reason I left is for her. So she doesn't have to suffer the way I do every day because of what happened two years ago.

"Are you going to leave again?" She asks, her voice so small that she doesn't sound like herself at all. I frown.

"I don't know, why? Do you want me to leave?" I'm genuinely curious. I glance over as she glances over at me and I hold her gaze. She has this look in her eyes that I can't put my finger on. She pulls away from my stare and takes a sip of her seventh martini.

"No." She surprises me by saying. "I thought I did before but then you actually left and I realised...I don't hate you as much as I thought."

I don't react. I don't know how to react. She's never been so honest with me before and I think if I say something, it will be the wrong thing. She is so intense and so serious when she drinks.

"Don't go soft on me now, Ice Queen." I say after a while and she rolls her eyes. I notice the smirk playing on her lips.

"Anything else, mam?" The bartender asks and I notice the way his gaze drops down her body. I glare at him and he suddenly looks away again out of embarrassment for being caught.

"Some tequila would be nice." Rose answers, oblivious to the way this guy looks at her. He's twice our age and is undressing her with his eyes.

"Why did you want to come here in the first place?" I ask. "Before we saw her, you seemed like you were confident and ready to take on anything. Then you left as soon as you had the chance to speak to her."

"I thought that if I...uh...acted as if her leaving didn't matter then it wouldn't. But all I could see in her eyes is the mother that didn't stay." She picks at her nails anxiously. "If you could be anything in the world, what would it be?"