Rosie White

Chapter 11

"He what? How the hell does he know? He can't, surely."

"Milly."

"That information was buried, I don't understand."

"Milly."

"I told you he wasn't sitting on the right side of the law, how else would he have got that information."

"Mills."

"Rosie quit now, forget the bills and all that crap, I knew I shouldn't have let you get that job there."

"Milly listen!" She stops her pacing in the kitchen and turns to me, I woke her up when I got home from my shift to tell her about my run-in with Alexander this evening. "First of all, I don't know how he got that information, but I'm assuming someone with as much money as him can find out whatever the fuck they want and secondly, forget the bills?" I smile.

Milly sighs, placing her hands on her hips. "Okay, maybe don't forget the bills."

"That's what I thought. Look let's just forget it, I'm tired, there's nothing I can do so lets just sleep and figure this shit out tomorrow," I yawn.

She walks towards me and takes a set on the sofa bed next to me, she pulls me towards her and wraps her arms around me. "You sure you're okay? We can figure something out if you do want to leave that job."

I squeeze her shoulders and shake me head, "Let me just see what happens, let me sleep on it."

She pulls back and moves to stand, "Okay, good idea."

As I watch her retreat back towards her bedroom, she stops in the doorway, looking back towards me. "Is there anything else I should know?"

I meet her gaze again, I remain silent, frowning.

"I know you Ro," She shakes her head and looks to her bare feet. "And I don't want to see you hurt, not again," She whispers.

Tears prick the backs of my eyes, "I won't, I'll make sure of it."

She nods before turning and closing her bedroom door behind her.

I lean back into the pillows and pull my duvet up and over my head.

Working the rest of the shift was torture, not only was my mind still reeling from the events that unfolded, but the sexual tension between me and Alexander Carlson, of all people, was through the roof.

I didn't see Alexander for the rest of the evening, which I'm thankful for. My mind was, is, a mess of thoughts, thoughts of the past and thoughts of him.

My body is on a different road to my mind, it draws to Alexander like he's the oxygen to my lungs.

Bad, that's all I can say for this whole fuck up of a situation. B.A.D.

I can still feel the pressure on my abdomen where Alexander pushed himself against me, where I felt what I do to him, how he felt towards me in that moment.

My mind spins again, was he angry? Aroused? Both?

I guess my answer was clear as day.

Milly's words flicker through my mind again, there's no way I would let Alexander hurt me, as much as my body responds to him, I need to get my mind to focus.

We live in two different worlds, two that have happened to cross but would only end up crashing and burning.

I won't let anyone hurt me again, I'm done with powerful people ruling and ruining my life.

Never again.

***

I place my paintbrush down and take a step back, glancing at my finished piece of artwork.

I turn when my professor walks up behind me, her voice echoing through the studio. "Wow Rosie," She starts, looking towards the finished piece. "It's a shame you won't be able to keep it."

I look back to the canvas and smile. "It's going to be helping towards such a good cause, I'm honoured to be able to contribute it towards the auction."

"You're talented Rosie, I'm sure once people get a glimpse of this, they're going to hit you up. You said you wanted to commission work? I can mention that you're taking on work in the bio they will place with your artwork at the auction," She replies.

"I do, but I need to find somewhere to work from and also supplies to work with," I frown. "I don't want to take on work before I can commit to being able to produce it."

My professor nods, "I understand, well I'll put down your email and website address for people to research you with. People will be patient with artwork, if they want you, they will wait for you."

I smile back at her, "Thank you, I'm hoping now that I've started working again I can get my website up and running again, I should have that by the next month. The link still works but it says its currently under construction."

She nods again, "Don't worry Rosie, everything will work out."

My smile falters before I urge it back onto my face, people have a way of telling me it will work out, when I know for a fact that's highly unlikely.

The more the weeks past, the closer I am to having nowhere to live, no matter how many shifts I can pick up at Club Envy, it's still not enough to be able to rent in the city.

As I stare at the finished piece in front of me, soon to be auctioned for charity. I wonder if I'll ever get a chance to be an artist.

I promised my grandma I wouldn't give up on my dreams, but the reality of my dreams being just that and nothing more fills me with guilt and sadness I can't stomach.

Maybe my parents were right all along.

I shake off the dread, loneliness and worry and move to wash my pallet up.