In the Life of a Rose

January 1, 2023

In the Life of a Rose...

I was in someone's bed. I was fully sober last night but it all felt like a high. I remembered us screaming Happy New Year and spraying some much champagne but the things before that came crashing down. I remembered that David had left and right after, Chris confessed everything to which I didn't say a thing after- the worse part.

When it hit midnight, people were kissing each other and I risked it all and made out with him. There was an excessive amount of kissing to where he led me upstairs and we got into bed. So, that's where everything caught up.

I turned over in the sheets on my body to see the shirtless man and his tattoos, laying there. Chris was still asleep as I curled next to his body and his arm unconsciously snaked around me. I sniffled closer to his chest and he pulled me on top of him, causing me to squeal.

"What was that for?" I asked, hovering over him as he slowly opened his eyes. In a second, he brought up his head and pecked me on the lips. He then rolled over, taking me along with him, until he was laying on top of me. He laid between my legs, his arms fixed on my sides, and he was kissing my stomach. "Do you taste sticky champagne?"

"Yeah, it tastes good, especially on your body," he murmured in the nape of my neck and I had to moan to that. "You should probably take a bath."

"Are you implying that I'm dirty?"

"Maybe," he answered and I gasped. "I might need one too." He smirked, pulling away from me, and got out of bed. I watched as his tiny butt floated away and into the bathroom, causing me to laugh.

When the water finished filling the tub, he called me to join him and I did. His heavy eyes stared at my every move as I got into the water. I sank in and he pulled me close to him so that he'd be able to reach every inch of my body to wash.

"Is it just us in this big house?" I asked.

"No. Some people stayed."

"Mm," I hummed. He found my feet and pulled them so I had to hold the rim to support myself as he washed the sole. "Do you even own this place?"

"Yes, Thea," he chuckled. "But I don't live here. I only stay here for a few days during the surrounding days of the party."

"Okay."

"Does that answer all of your questions?"

"Sure." I could feel his hands run up my legs and when he reached my thighs, he squeezed them. I giggled and drew my arms around his neck, the soap running down his huge arms.

"In the life of a rose, baby."

"Are you calling me a rose?" He chuckled softly at my question but didn't answer and kissed my lips.

"All night, I was thinking..." he began, "I want to get back together with you. Even if we're at our differences, I wanna make us work."

I closed my eyes for a moment and opened them to find his piercing blue eyes reflecting the solemn expression on my face. I was aware that he knew what my face was telling him and his body language said it too when he withdrew his hands from me and shifted away.

"He asked me the same thing after the masquerade ball," I said softly. "I told him I'd think about it and I'm going to tell you the same thing, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded. He wiped the tear that protruded from my eye. "You know you have to pick one of us, right?"

"Yes, I know. Katerina Petrova said, 'It's okay to love them both,' and you know that."

He sighed before saying, "Promise me you won't juggle us around like your pets."

"I won't."