Rose and the Thorn (Fallen Tales series)

Chapter 50

Chapter 50
Rose
The warm grass felt nice on my back. Clouds filled my view in all shapes and sizes. Their white colour shone through the sun's rays. I raised my hand as if trying to touch their fluffy appearance.
What if people couldn't see what I see? I asked myself.
What if they don't see the clouds' gold edge? What if they don't notice the different shapes and sizes?
I sighed feeling stupid, realizing that I was really thinking about Patrick.
What if the sky turns red?
What if it starts running cats and dogs?
What if, what if?
I sat up and crossed my legs. My hands played in the grass picking at it.
It felt like when I was at school. Bored out of my mind and nothing to entertain me but to pick a piece of grass and tear it apart.
I thumped the ground with my fist feeling restless. I looked up and spotted a parting in the trees. I stood up moving till I was in line with the opening. It was five hundred feet from me but I could see that it led somewhere. As I went to take a step, I heard Patrick's voice behind me.
"Hey, you're supposed to be packing."
I turned to face him as he walked over to me, "no, you were supposed to help me pack but someone got tied up with Jenson in his office. And I think your over estimating how much stuff I have," I said falling into his arms.
His smile was cute as he started to chuckle.
"What were you working on with Jenson anyway?" I asked.
He quickly dropped his head.
I frowned, "what is it?" I asked taking his hand.
"Nothing, come on, let's go move you," he went to wrap an arm around my shoulder but I pulled back looking down the lane.
"What's down there's?" I asked pointing to the lane.
He sighed, taking my hand, "would you like me to show you?"
When I nodded, he led the way.
Trees were on either side of us as we continued down the path. The path ended at an opening and rose bushes lined the way to a marble tomb. My heart stopped as I realized where we were. His family's grave.
"Rose, this is where my family is buried," he told me even though he knew I had figured it out. Pebbles lied in front of the tomb as stone tiles pathed a way to the marble plaque on the tomb front.
Patrick knelt down in front of it wiping away the dust.
"Do you come here often?" I asked feeling uneasy. What do I say?
He shrugged, "not as much as I like to admit. But I'm trying to make up for lost time."
He smiled at me holding out his hand. I took it and sat in front of him. He wrapped his arms around my waist and rested his head on my shoulder.
I read the names out loud.
"All taken before their time. All loved and cherish by everyone they met. Will never be forgotten."
Patrick moaned as if he was agreeing to something.
"What do you do when you come here?" I asked.
I felt him shrugged, "I just talk."
"About what?"
"My day, the house, sometimes the work. I talk about you a lot."
"Really," I shot forward and turned my head to look at him.
"Of course."
"What about?" I asked feeling nervous.
He shrugged, "anything. Your eyes, you."
I sighed in relief.
"I don't want them to know that we're sleeping together," I mumbled barely audible.
"Rose, I think they know."
"I'm sorry, I'm nervous. I've never met a guy's parents before."
He looked at me with a get real look.
"yes I know how that sounded. The principle still stands." I flopped back against him.
Whispering in my ear, he said, "Why don't you talk to them?"
"What do you say to a family that's been, asleep, for five years?" I tried not to use the world dead.
"Anything you want."
I sighed feeling nervous, "hey, Gilbert family, what's up ?"
I could practically hear Patrick frowning.
"What's up, really?"
"I'm sorry, I'm new at this."
"Really, you didn't talk to your mother?"
I shook my head, "Dad never took me to see her. Not even when I begged."
"That's horrible."
I shrugged, "I guess it made me realize more that she's never going to be around."
Suddenly the mood changed and I felt bad. I groaned and stood up.
"I'm sorry, I'm such a mood killer."
"Rose, its fine," he said quickly.
"No it's not, this was supposed to be a great day. I'm finally getting the lovey dovey relationship I've always wanted and I bring the mood down."
"Rose, I brought it up. It's my fault," he said. It made me groaned again.
I knelt to the ground pulling his chin only inches from mine with my finger.
"Stop taking the blame for something you didn't do," I said my eyes flicking from his lips to his eyes. His did the same. His hand circled my cheek pushing a lock of hair behind my ear.
"I like being the prince in shining armour."
"Well I'm no densal in de stress."
"I've noticed. But I want to protect you. I like it," he whispered the last bit. I giggled locking his lips on mine.
Between kisses I said, "We're – making out – in front of – your family's – grave."
"Shh, you'll wake up the spirits."

Patrick
"Oh my God, Rose," I said entering behind her. Clothes lied at the bottom of the open wardrobe, on the floor and half hanging out of a bag. Her bed sheets were scrambled into a ball in the corner of the bed. Books lied on the table in two piles. It was the only neat thing in the room.
"Okay so it's a little messy," she said casually.
"That's an understatement."
She giggled sitting on the bare bed.
I turned to the wall. Pages of my work were suck across the war. Poems and drawings.
"Are these all mine?" I asked taking one poem from the wall.

Dark Halls
Dark halls
Large walls
Close doors
And hard floors.
Stone bricks.
Breakable sticks
Crystal balls
And Murky moors
Harsh winds
Hurtful sins.
Mysterious looks
And heartfelt books
Lonely nights
Frightful sights
Closed drawers
And hard floors.

"Yeah, they're all about me so I wanted to keep them."
I frowned at the poem I held, "this one isn't."
"Read it out," she ordered.
I sighed and did.
I looked up for her to explain.
She shrugged with a cheeky grin, "I just liked it."
I laughed at her.
"So where do you want to start first?" I asked.
She clapped her hands and stood up ready for action.
"Okay, you start putting clothes into that bag and I'll go take these up to your room," she said taking one pile of books and leaving the room. I laughed about how happy she was, how happy I was. For the first time in five years, my life had some sort of direction. And Rose was that direction. I spent the day thinking about what we could do together. How to spend the day together? How to make her smile? How to make her laugh?
I finished piling the clothes from the bottom of the wardrobe to the bag and started on the cloths in the draws of the bedside table. My eyes widen to see the different colours, fabrics and shapes of underwear and bras that she had. I took out a purple bra and without realizing, I imagined Rose in it. The thought of it overwhelmed me and I through it in the bag.
Just don't think about it
It was so hard to do when I pulled out a black lace thong. I quickly through it in the bag. I had emptied the draw when I felt arms warp around my waist.
"I can model them for you, if you like?" Rose whispered behind me.
"Don't temp me."
"Almost packed then," we turned and half separated at the sound of Jenson's voice.
"Almost," I answered.
"So should I start bringing two trays up for breakfast, Sir?" Jenson ask me. Rose immediately reacted swaying her arms around.
"No, no. Nothing changes between us. I'm just moving rooms. Breakfast, lunch and dinner are all down stairs for me."
"And dinner is down stairs for me too," I quickly said.
Jenson's eyes widen and I knew he wanted me to explain.
"Well you and Rose have dinner down here, it would just be easier for me to have it down here too."
Rose started to jump up and down, "Oo, does that mean we get good food too?"
Jenson groaned, "Fine Rose. We can have good food."
Rose cheered as if she had just won the lottery. Jenson shook his head but smiled at me before he left the room.
"Calm down, Rose. It's just food."
She turned around and playfully slapped me, "Easy for you to say, you haven't just spent the last six months eating moosh and smooch and slosh."
I chuckled at how happy she was. I made it my life mission to make her like this again.
Like I light bulb, I got any idea. I took her by the waist and looked her in the eye.
"I've just had a great idea. We should have a ball."
She took a step back, "A ball? Like a big party?"
I shrugged, "yeah, I guess."
"Um, why?"
I took her in my arms again, "Because I'm sick of living in the dark. I want to be the person I was, ish. And I want people to know that you are the reason for that."
"Patrick, six months ago, you didn't want anyone in the house except for Jenson. Now you want to have a ball?"
"Why not?" I said raising my arms.
"Because of what I just said. I mean, are you even ready?" she asked.
I couldn't believe that I actually was.
"Yes, I am. Let me do this for you."
She frowned, "No Patrick, if you're going to have a ball, do it for you."
I shook my head, "No, I'm doing it for us."
I cupped the sides of her neck, pressing our foreheads together.
"Pat, I don't know anything about balls. I don't even have a dress," she moaned.
"Then buy one, or I'll buy one."
I kissed her hoping that would convince her that this was a good idea. Was it a good idea?
"You're just missing one thing."
"What's that?"
"You have to convince Jenson, first."