The Criminal's Rose

Only with you

After an hour drive, Michael and Rose reached a dark place which felt unfamiliar to Rose. Without getting out of the car, Rose kept trying to figure out the place where she was in. She asked in a trembling tone "Where are we?"

Michael got our of the car and opened the car door for Rose. He said offering his hand "Come with me."

Though she felt afraid, her trust on Michael pushed aside her thoughts and she got out of the car holding his hand. A cool breeze hit her skin as soon as she got out of the car. She couldn't comprehend the place though she was out of the car. Following a little walk, they reached the place from where the entire city was visible. With all the lights, it looked like all the stars that's twinkling in the sky came to the earth.

Rose's lips curved up into a small smile looking at the view in front of her. She asked "So this is the place you wanted to show me?"

Michael turned his head to her side asking "Yeah. Don't you like it?"

"Of course I like it. It is beautiful." She replied.

Michael then sat on the ground taking out his cigarette case from his pocket. Rose sat beside him rubbing her hands to feel warm. Michael offered her a cigarette for which she gave a deadly glare.

"Fine." Michael rolled his eyes. He asked "Atleast can I smoke?"

"You know I hate it... but it's okay." She smiled.

Michael hummed as a response to her reply. He said "You are the one who goes for adjustments all the time but for a change, let me do it for you now." He then put the cigarette case inside his pocket, decided to not smoke.

Rose smiled hearing him and they both kept quiet looking at the view. Rose said "It seems my kind of place. So pleasant and tranquil."

"I often come here with my beer bottles." Michael laughed.

Rose hit his arm speaking "You brought me to your drinking spot."

"Come on, whatever it is, you love it, right? That's all matters to me." He said smiling.

Rose nodded her head smiling. She asked "You come this far only to drink?"

"Not only to drink. I kind of love this place. I think about the things while drinking."

"Michael, you are saying you drink in this open area not fearing about anything. Like, seriously? What if cops come here? Or something happens?"

"Rose... why do you always think about the future? Or live in the past? Think about the present. See how beautiful this moment is."

She kept quiet after listening to him. In the moonlight, with the breeze making her curls which fell onto her side, flow like waves, she felt mesmerising to Michael.

Her pink cheeks, kissable lips and glowing face were making him go insane and he felt kissing her so hard. He brought his face closer to hers when he nearly lost his control but when she turned her face to his side, he backed off shutting his eyes, cursing himself for his behaviour.

"Michael? What happened?" She asked narrowing her eyebrows.

Michael let out a sigh and mumbled not looking at her "Argh! You are making me do the things, Rose."

"What? Are you okay?" She asked when she didn't hear him clearly.

"Nothing. I'm fine. What will happen to me?" Michael scoffed.

Michael started to control himself from his thoughts that would freak her out and he decided to not do anything that goes beyond limit in Rose's opinion. They both kept silent for a while then Michael asked "Rose, what will happen if you find Robin?"

His question made her face brightened up and she smiled a little more. She replied smiling "I will cry definitely. Not the actual cry, but happy tears. Then I'll take him home and we will live happily from then. Only Robin and I."

"Then what?" He asked looking at her.

"What is there after that?" She asked.

"A lot is there, Rose. Robin will find a girlfriend for him, they start dating... it would be like his family. What about you?"

Rose's smile faded away when she heard him. She got no words to answer to his question and she kept quiet for a minute then she spoke "What do you mean by his family? I'm his family."

Michael said "Yes you are, Rose. I mean, my point is, Robin will have his separate life..." He let out an irritated sigh when he was failing to convey his feelings to her indirectly. He muttered "Fuck this." And he asked "Don't you want someone in your life who will be with you always? Only with you?" He said it pressing the sentence 'Only with you' while looking at her.

"Who will be only with me, Michael? That too always?" She asked.

When Michael was about to say 'He will', Rose said "Even if someone says they will, I won't believe. I stopped trusting people."

Michael rolled his eyes muttering "Wow. Michael you are finished."

Rose continued saying "I don't want to focus on any such things, Michael. It's really hard to believe someone. I just want Robin and the little hope of I will find him is the only thing that's moving me forward."

Michael stood straight when he understood she wouldn't accept him easily. He knew she was tough but he never thought she would sound like a misanthropist. He put his hands on his hips letting out a frustrated sigh while looking at the sky.

Confused with his actions, Rose also stood straight calling out his name "Michael?"

He didn't reply anything and kept pacing back and forth. She put her palm on Michael's shoulder shouting "Michael?"

He said looking at her "Rose, you can't hate everyone for the things few people did."

"Okay Michael, relax. I didn't think my words will make you angry."

"Not angry, Rose... I said casually."

Then they sat again and Michael diverted the topic as he didn't want to talk about it anymore. Talking for few minutes, they both left the place.

Days kept passing the same. Michael with the help of others, was trying to find Robin whereas Rose was still irritating the cops. They didn't find even a single clue about him and all their trials were going in vain. Apart from that, Michael's love on Rose kept increasing day by day and he started to lose control on himself. He even decided to propose her few times but he pushed aside his idea. Though they both were getting closer with each day passing, he couldn't express his feelings to Rose that easily. He was not the guy, who was afraid of anything but when it comes to Rose, the fear of her rejection kept haunting him. He not only wanted her body but her heart, her acceptance, her soul and her everything.

Rose also started to experience a strange feel whenever she was with Michael. His presence was making her feel good but she couldn't accept the fact that she wanted him in her life all the time. But she was sure of one thing that she was feeling strong whenever she was with him.

Michael was with Marcos, smoking while discussing about Robin. Marcos was helping Michael putting aside many of his works but unfortunately nothing was going well.

"That guy, Samwell, Samuel... whatever. Did he trouble her again?" Marcos asked exhaling his smoke.

"No. He will never even think about her ever again." Michael laughed.

Marcos too joined in laugh with him and he asked "Mikey, are you going to tell her what you feel or continue being her so called friend?"

"Not anytime soon. She is a different woman, Marcos. I should be careful with everything that I wish to do."

Marcos said in between in his laughs "Poor Mikey."

After few minutes of their talk, Michael left for Rose's house. His eyes widened and a sudden chill spread across his spine when he saw Rose sat on the floor, crying with a knife near her wrist.

"Rose?" Michael shouted and started to run towards her. He fell on his knees beside her and took the knife from her hand shouting "What the fuck are you doing?"

Rose hugged him crying and her next words left him shocked "Robin is dead."