The Secrets of Cedar Creek

14 : Good Night, Rose

I fumble with my keys at the front door, rummaging through my purse, listening to the engine of Adrian's car as he speeds away. I walk in and close the door behind me as the familiar smell of chicken pie filters through.

F*ck. Chicken pie. Kath and Tyson. Sylv. F*ck, f*ck, f*ck.

"Where on Earth have you been young lady?" Auntie Helen says firmly.

"Auntie Helen, I am so sorry... I completely spaced about dinner tonight. I had a work thing."

She glares at me and shakes her head like she's really disappointed. "We'll talk about this later." She closes her eyes and sighs. "I was really worried about you."

"I'm so sorry." I walk into the kitchen and greet Tyson and Kath.

Kath's already on her third glass of wine, looking spectacularly tipsy. Tyson watches her with those calm and cool eyes. He seems more like her security guard then her husband.

Kath is glamorous. She's beautiful and nice and fun. She's got shoulder-length dyed blonde hair, sharp dark eyebrows, a small, pointed nose, and perfectly manicured nails at all times. She's the kind of fifty year glow up everyone aims to achieve. She's got it all. Even Sylv loves her, and most people I know don't get along with their step-parents.

Uncle Pete looks at me like Auntie Helen did, with that look of disappointment. But he doesn't say anything.

"Glad you could finally join us!" Kath says, giggling.

I ignore Sylv, who's putting dishes away. I can't believe I forgot about dinner.

"Why don't you and Sylvester go entertain each other while we Kath and I prepare desert?" Auntie Helen says. "Unless you haven't eaten dinner? We've already had all the pie but I can warm you up some leftovers?"

"No, I've eaten."

"Well off you go then, Sylv's been on his lonesome and had to listen to our boring adult-talk."

.

.

.

Sylv shuts my bedroom door. "Where the f*ck were you?"

"Calm down, Sylv, I was with Iris," I walk across the room, pulling off my coat and trying to take off my stockings without flashing him.

"Iris? Why do I feel like there's more to the story?" he scrutinises me and glances over me.

Part of me lights up, thinking about how easy it would be to slip off my dress and be with him... but the echo of Jess' threat swells in my mind and almost turns me off.

"Look at me, Rose," he says.

I peel my eyes off my stockings that I've thrown on the floor and look at him.

He gives me another once over, until his eyes glue on my hand. The stamp. I try to hide my hand behind my back but he grabs my wrist and pulls me to him.

"You were at the f*cking joint! Don't lie to me."

I try to rip my hand away, but end up drawing him closer.

"Tell me what happened."

"No," I look away, "you'll be disappointed in me." I try to push off him but he takes my arms and holds me against the wall.

"Tell me, Rose! God damn it. You promised me you'd never go back there." Disappointment wells up in his eyes. "You said you're not that person anymore-"

"I'm not!" I push him off me and brush past him. "It's part of my assistant business."

"Why don't I believe you?"

"I don't know, maybe because you think I'm full of sh*t?"

He shakes his head and takes a deep breath. "Don't you see, after all this time, that nothing you've done – nothing you'll ever do – will make me change my mind about you?"

The guilt claws at my sides. "We can't do this, Sylv. What happened today... with Jess... that hit me hard. I can't lose Avalon right now."

"Argh!" He growls, slamming his fist into the wall. "So after everything we've been through – you just want to pretend we're nothing. Like this... like I mean nothing to you?"

"I don't know what to do!" I collapse onto my bed and hold my head in my hands.

"You know what? I'm sick of your bull sh*t, Rose. I'm sick of being lied to, I'm sick of being used and I'm sick of giving you everything just to have it thrown in my face."

I stand up. "Well if that's how you feel, leave. You could have broken up with Paige, but you didn't. You could've grown the balls to tell her you didn't love her, but you didn't. And if we did it the right way, maybe this could have worked. But we didn't. We lied to someone we love, and now we have to face the consequences. So leave."

I've never seen Sylv like this before. His eyebrows quiver, like he's unsure how to feel. His eyes shift between anger and sadness and betrayal and hate and love. I watch the muscles in his jaw contract as he grits his teeth, then bites his lip.

"I'm sick of all these secrets, Sylv. I can't do it anymore," I say, feeling some sense of relief.

"Well, if that's how you feel." His expression turns cold, feelingless. "Good night, Rose."