Reckless Passion

Chapter 41

— Chapter 41 —

Song Themes For This Chapter: How Could This Happen To Me – Simple Plan; Come On Get Higher –Matt Nathanson; Let’s Play – Kristina Maria; Numb - Usher

— Louis —

I rested the side of my head on the back of my seat, my hands relaxed in my lap and legs loosely crossed as I watched Rose munch away on her cheeseburger and fries while we sat in Liam’s car in the parking lot of the nearest McDonald’s I could get to.  I smiled faintly at the sight of her; she seemed so focussed on her food.  Not that I was surprised, she most definitely would have had the munchies when she woke up.

“Rose,”

“I’m still eating.”  She sharply interjects.  Her eyes have shifted to the side, towards me but she’s not making direct eye contact.

I frown.  “I was just going to ask you if the food tasted okay.”  I say softly.  She did not need to snap at me like that.  My intentions were good, I wanted to help her.

Her expression softens as she releases the tension in her shoulders.  “I-I’m sorry…  The food is really good.”  She responds meekly.

“Do your parents know you came to see me?”  I ask.

“My brother was going to cover for me with them.”  She says before taking another bite out of her burger.

I blink in surprise.  “You never told me you had a brother?”

She swallows a bite and lifts her gaze to meet mine.  “I’m sorry.  I just didn’t think to tell you.  I have an older brother and an older sister.  They’ve been away at Princeton University for the last five months or so.  They only just returned after I came back from the…”  She pauses, her expression going a little pale as she turns away from me and resumes eating in silence.

I frown sympathetically.  This was going to be hard.  She seemed to be trying to erase anything and everything related to what happened from her memory.  She was trying to run away from it.  I so desperately wished I could help her do that but she had to face this head on, it was the only way she’d be able to get through this and come out stronger.

I sit with my hands tightly folded in my lap, staring out the front window as I anxiously tap my thumb against my other hand.  I waited as patiently as I could for Rose to finish eating; out of the corner of my eye I could have sworn she had started to eat a little slower to prolong the time before I forced her to talk.  And she knew it was coming.

 I see her finish her last bite and I shift my eyes to stare out the front window for a minute or two.  I can feel her eyes on me and she starts to shift nervously in her seat.

“A-Are we going back to your place now, Louis?”  She asks quietly.

“Maybe after.”  I say before turning my body towards her and resting one of my arms on the back of my seat.  “We need to talk, baby.”  I try to keep my tone sweet and sincere.

She frowns and looks down at her hands as she starts to play with her fingers.

I open my mouth to say something but her small voice registers.

“I remember what you said.  All of it.”  She says.

I blink and cock my head to the side.

She looks up at me, a sad, faint smile on her face.  “You’re not a coward, Louis, or a lowlife.  Please don’t say such things about yourself when you mean so much to me.”

I give her a dismissive face, averting my eyes from her.  This wasn’t about me, regardless of what I said about myself.

“But you were right about me.”  She quietly adds, causing my eyes to meet hers again questioningly.  “I was trying to numb myself.”  She blinks rapidly as I notice a watery rim forming under her eyes.  “I just…  I can’t handle…”  She shakes her head as she struggles to hold back tears.