Roses for Rachel

Chapter 20.

I woke up hours later to the assault of the lights turning on, making my swollen eyes burn. I blinked into consciousness to see a guard standing in my doorway talking into a phone. "Got her." He said gruffly, then walked back out.

I sat up in my bed confused until the events of the last few hours all came flooding back to me. When I looked up again, Calvin was standing in the doorway, his brown hair a mess and an unreadable expression on his handsome face. "Why the hell do you keep doing this to me?" He demanded. "Do you think I enjoy spending my time worried to death about where you are?" He stepped into the room, followed by Master Pedro who had a look on his face that did not make me excited for this conversation. "I've just had a very interesting conversation with Master Pedro." He informed me. "Care to guess what that was about?" I could place the expression on his face now. He was pissed.

"Calvin, I was going to tell you." I insisted.

Master Pedro clicked the door shut behind him and went to sit on my vanity bench, while Calvin stayed posted right in front of the door. "Oh, really? And when were you planning to inform me that my father made a pass at you?" He demanded. "I had to hear it from Pedro, and then again by my father himself, before you."

I sighed, bringing my knees up under my chin. "You were already so upset, and trying to gain control of yourself, I just didn't want to make it worse." I explained, then that sting in my eyes reminded me. "Besides, it's not like you really gave me much of a chance to tell you anything, seeing as how you ran off and left me to go chasing after some other girl!" I shouted.

Master Pedro rubbed his jaw and stood up awkwardly. "I think I will wait outside." He said bowing his head to Calvin.

I huffed. "Yeah, you do that." I said. "I can't believe you told him."

Pedro looked defensive. "How was I supposed to know you didn't tell him?" He shot back.

"You didn't even give me a chance to tell him myself."

"Again, you had just been with him and didn't inform him, I assumed you would have, and that was not the type of news I am at liberty to keep from my prince."

Calvin raised his hand in the air, silencing us both. "Pedro, go ahead and wait outside, please." Pedro gave me one last glance, then sulked out of the room. Calvin turned his eyes back to me. "Why didn't you come back to our room, Rachel? I've had all the guards out looking for you all day."

I stared at him for a long time, amazed how he could just act like nothing had happened. "You should know why, Calvin." I snapped and laid back down in the bed, covering my head with the comforter.

I felt his weight sit down on the edge of the bed. "Rachel, don't be like this."

"Like what?" I shot back.

"So damn frustrating, Rachel! All the time!" He said exhaustedly.

I threw the blankets back and sat up to face him, my eyes burning from the tears that were right on the edge of spilling over. "I'm the frustrating one?" I laughed sarcastically. "You ditch me to run off and chase another girl, leaving me with a bunch of girls who you know are horrible to me, and I'm the one you're mad at right now?"

Calvin dropped his eyes from mine. "I'm not mad at you, Rachel."

"Oh, well, that just makes everything ok then." I snapped. "I'm so happy to know that you're not mad at me!"

I looked away from him too, glancing up to try and keep the tears from falling out. "But you are mad at me?" He asked.

I had to laugh again, the motion causing the traitor tears to fall down my cheeks. "Wow, I can't get anything passed you." I said monotone.