The Cinder

Diego {12}

It was late in the evening by the time we had reached Marie Grolich Park.

Rosanne had borrowed my phone to communicate with Arianna the moment we sat back in the car.

Apparently, Arianna and Emily had reunited in the park and were waiting for to meet us.

Since it was near the mental health center they had broke through, I told them to stay put in Arianna's car until we meet them.

The plan was to lead them to Chicago and book few rooms for a motel night where Brandon and Jared would be joining us in four more hours.

From there we could decide what had to be done.

I really wanted Rose to stay away from this but if that wasn't happening then I was going to do the next best thing- stay beside her and keep her safe.

The smile that had been plastered on her face from the past ten minutes was affecting me in indescribable ways.

It had been a while since I saw a smile like that on her beautiful face. Last time was on our trip to New Orleans when we were both high from our after-sex-marathon glow.

If that was what it took to put a look like that on her face, with her infectious grin and shimmery grey eyes, I had no complaints regarding the methods.

We passed through the hospital, crossing the DO NOT PICK UP HITCHHIKERS sign when a laugh bubbled up from Rosanne.

"What?" I asked her curiously.

She pointed a finger at the sign board then at herself, trying to stifle a giggle.

"You do realize you picked up a hitchhiker, don't you?"

I flashed my best panty-dropping smile with a heated look in my eyes as I whispered seductively to her.

"I think I did more than just pick her up."

Rosanne flushed under my gaze making it harder for me breathe.

That lovely pink blush caressed her cheeks, travelling to her forehead and spreading across her neck.

My mouth watered to taste that pinkish flush as it crawled deeper under her skin.

Jerking my eyes back to the road, I fought to keep them there.

"Why had Jared and Brandon stayed behind?"

I was trying to avoid the news led by that question but it seemed impossible.

Twisting and turning, Rosanne would ask something that would come to a dead-end answer of telling her about Troy.

For some miraculous reason, she was happy right now. I didn't want to ruin that.

Though I knew we had to discuss much more than Troy's suicide, didn't mean I wouldn't try to prolong it.

What would happen when I told her everything? Would she me as I saw myself? A coward? Would she feel disgusted by me? Would she hate me?

I couldn't bear it.

Just imagining her hateful gaze with my face reflecting off her eyes had my insides shriveled up.
There was no winning here. If I didn't tell her, didn't let her in, she'd grow tire of my shit and leave me. She'd already warn me off.

And if I did tell her, there was ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent chances she'd still leave me.

"Diego?"

I realized I still haven't answered her question.

"Yeah, um, they're packing stuff. For the night."