Tainted Love

Chapter 51

Rose's POV

I was so happy I couldn't even think clearly. I zoomed back to my dorm room. I quickly got the blood off of me and tried to find something remotely formal. Figures, I didn't. I sighed. He wouldn't mind. I put on a blue top with black leggings and quickly combed out my knotted hair. Looking in the mirror, I finally saw myself again.

I lifted up my shirt to look at the wound I was almost killed by. It was completely healed, but it left a faint scar running down my side. I tilted my head. How was that possible? I've never scarred before, and even if I did it was small and gone within a half hour. But this looked like a birthmark, a fine dark line about three inches long. I guess it would always be there as a reminder that I survived the impossible.

Within fifteen minutes, I was running towards the tree. To my surprise, Reynold had beat me, his feet dangling fifteen feet above. I smirked, disappearing in a flash and reappearing next to him on the branch. For the first time, I wasn't scared to look down. I had never felt so confident and relaxed in my life, even though I consistently fake it.

Reynold was in a neat black shirt with jeans, understanding that I'd probably have the dilemma I did as I appeared next to him in my casual outfit. He flashed a grin, something I never thought I'd be so excited to see.

"Hi," I said, trying not to giggle like some little kid embarrassingly nervous in front of her crush.

"Hi," he replied, his deep voice making me hold my breath. He reached in his pocket holding out two gold bands. He shook his head. "I couldn't get a diamond ring in time, but-"

I hugged him, almost knocking the two of us out of the tree. "They're perfect," I said. I heard him breathe a sigh of relief. I giggled again. He was so nervous about this it was humorous.

We finally let go, and he handed me his ring, while he held mine. "I would try to do the whole clique ceremony, but literally the only line from it I remember is the 'I do' part," he admitted, looking down at the ring.

"Then let's just get to the 'I do' part," I said, shrugging. I feel that's the only part that truly matters. It makes it official.

Reynold grinned. "I do."

"I do."

He slipped the ring on my finger, which somehow fit perfectly. I smiled and put his on, my hair falling in front of my face as I did so. Once I clumsily slipped it onto his finger. Reynold lifted my chin, my dark brown hair stilling blinding me. His hand slid across my face as he tucked my hair behind my ears, but he never looked away from my eyes. The silence between us was so peaceful. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the sky turning red as the sun rose. I rested my head on his hand, which he had yet to move from my face.

A smirk slid across his face. "May I kiss the bride?" he hummed. I was way ahead of him. I pressed my lips against him, the entire world around me standing still. After a few moments, we both pulled away too soon. I leaned on his shoulder as he wrapped his arm around me. Once again, the blissful silence surrounded as we watched the sunrise in the horizon.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this moment," he whispered in my ear.

"I didn't even think this day would come," I whispered back, making him pull me closer to him. "So what do we do now?" I asked. "It's not like the people will just accept me."

"It's going to be hard, but they'll come around. Believe me, if I can, they can."

I nudged him playfully. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're a good person, Rose, though you act like you're not sometimes. I trust you, and that's not just because I love you," he said simply.

I nodded and leaned on him as the two of us continued to watch the red sky come to life, but something was trapped in the back of my mind. Guilt. I wish what he said was true. Reynold shouldn't trust me, and he definitely shouldn't think I'm a good person. The good side of me is an act, not the bad side. I'm just so used to trying to cover it. I remembered a part of an old rhyme as I watched the red sun:

Red skies in the morning, sailors take warning.

I felt the lump in my throat grow, and I swallowed from suddenly-appearing nerves.

A storm was definitely coming. I could feel it.

~End of Book 1~

Book 2 is called Her Thorns! Got check it out! @amo4books