Predator (DWT x OC)

33

I stand on the river bank, wrapped in a soft woollen blanket. The finality of my decision is relieving. I thought it might be terrifying, once I knew who I was going to choose, and heartbreaking to have to say goodbye, but I'm not scared. I am finally going to be free. 

The water ripples softly, distorting the leafy tree branches that it reflects. I can make out the glint of shimmering scales, just catching the sunlight as the fish darts through the river. The woods make me feel alive, the fluttering breezes and rushing water and the clean air. 

"Rosie?" I hear Dream's voice call out. I turn around. 

"Wilbur is coming here, George went to let him know you decided." He informs me, and I give him a grateful smile. 

"Thanks Dream." He takes in a deep breath, clearly holding back a torrent of things he still has to say.

"I love you Princess, no matter what." He says.

I reach forward and take his face in my hands, thumbs tracing his temples. I lean forward and gently press my lips to his, and he closes his fingers around my wrists. I pull back, but he stays, forehead leaning against mine, eyes closed, desperately clinging onto the last lingering moment of his lips on mine. 

"I love you too." I whisper. We pull apart, and I follow him back up to the house. There's a tense silence that permeates the air, and I can feel it sliming up my skin. We wait together wordlessly outside the front door, and I pull the blanket even tighter around my shoulders. 

Wilbur and George's heads appear in the field, heading towards us. They both reach us, and George gives me a small smile, before disappearing into the house. Wilbur stands stiffly in front of us, and I can see him and Dream eyeballing each other, backs straight, muscles tensed. 

I take in a steadying breath, and step backwards. I meet their eyes, trying to tell them all the things I can't put into words, how much I love both of them, how much they hurt me, everything I feel, too complex to even begin to describe. I see the realisation click in their eyes.

Both of them stand still, shock rippling through them. They know who I have chosen. Dream steps forward, pain blooming over his face, the colour draining out of Wilbur's, hurt fresh in both of their eyes.

"We're meant for each other Rosie. We are. Please don't throw that away. Please, please don't. We would have worked." He says desperately, and I stare in horror at the person I love falling apart.

" If it was a different time, and a different place, and things didn't happen the way they did, then yes, we would have worked." I tell him.

"Then we'd be different people" He whispers, eyes pleading, begging me not to say what we both know to be true.

I smile sadly. "Yeah dream, we would be."

And in that line, in those words which rip me apart to say, I let Dream go.

 Wilbur was already gone.

Because the person I love most in this world is not the man that took me in and raised me when no one else cared, then threw me away like I meant nothing. And it's not the man that took me and taught me how to love again, who taught me how to feel vulnerable and strong at the same time, and who also taught me fear and loneliness that nearly shattered me beyond repair.

The person I love most is me.

And I chose myself. 

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A/N Well...surprise? As I said in Chapter 1, Rosie is a bad bitch who don't need no man, and she will continue to not need no man. This moment was the reason I wrote the whole book, because I always wondered, well why can't the protagonist just not choose? 

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Oopsies x