Rose Red

Brooding

Bella's POV

It's finally time to go home. Im excited. Love my job but my feet are killing me and I'm so tired. I've been so tired these days and I don't know why.

Once again I promised auggie I would come back at the end of the day. I'm really not sure why. Going to him one last time before I leave everyday isn't helping my not-so-subtle growing feelings. I sigh and head toward the elevator but not before softly "slamming" my locker shut.
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I knock on his door and just like every other time it is immediately thrown open. But before I can take a step in I'm being pulled back. I hit someone's chest and it feels like a woman. "Um, hello?" I try and see who has me but I can't seem to see them. I watch as August's face twists into one of anger and I try my hardest to get to him. If he gets mad at me I have no idea what I'd do. I try and pull my arms free but I'm sure I just look like a wriggling worm.

You know those girls who are super skinny and small and look soft but are actually strong and know how to fight? Yea that's not me. All the while August just keeps getting angrier. I can see it on his face and in his body language. I can also see he's trying to fight it. To hold it in. I'm not sure how much longer he'll be able to do that so I quickly voice my concerns. "Please let go! Let me get to him! Please!" I try my best to stay quiet while also yelling but all that goes through my head is that I'm thankful for the soundproof bedroom walls.

As soon as I get my fifth please out the person stops moving so I stop struggling. "What did you say?" She sounds confused. I speak again in a soft voice. "Please just let me get to him. Please" I feel the arms slowly slide off of my body. She sure was strong for a woman. I quickly run to him and wrap my arms around his torso. I feel his heavy breathing up against my head. Yes my head is only at his chest.

After a few minutes he wraps his arms around my body but just as quickly as he does this he's moving me behind him. I hear footsteps running towards us. He slowly backs us up to the wall furthest from the door. The footsteps get louder and then they stop. "August. You don't have to do this," Huh? Do what? What is he doing?

"Just let her go. I promise I just want to talk. Just let her go and we can talk." I try and move around his body but he holds me in place. I grab at his arm and try to get it off of me. He looks back and shakes his head. I look into his eyes as he gives me a pleading look. Then he mouths stay put. Please.

And I do.

He takes a deep breath and looks towards the woman. "Go. Please" I hear a gasp. "No. I won't leave. We need to talk." He shakes his head aggressively. "No no no. Just go!" I flinch back. I've never heard him yell before. He quickly looks back at me and I flinch again. He gives me a sad look and his shoulders slump before I feel his arm falling off of me. He quickly takes a couple steps away from me while still giving me this sad look.

No.

No no no no. He's making himself seem small. He's showing submission. He is submitting. He thinks I'm scared of him. I look him in his eyes and say "stand up straight. Now." He quickly does so and out of they corner of my eye I see the lady give me a confused look. I take a step towards him but he takes one back. "I'm not afraid of you. You should already know this." I continue to step toward him but as I pass the lady she pulls on my arm. I look at her and glare. "Let me go." She looks taken back but lets go nonetheless. "Auggie, stop backing away from me. You won't hurt me. I've just never heard you yell before" I speak to him in a soft voice hoping that he will hear me and not just listen.

When I get to him I pull him into my body and stand on my tip toes to reach his neck. He quickly wraps his arms around me but I can feel him shaking still. Out of anger? I don't know but I really want it to stop. "What can I do?" He looks up but not at me. I turn and see the lady with her jaw on the floor. Who is she? Mom? Sister? Friend? Girlfriend?

At that thought I quickly let go off him. No wonder she doesn't want me near him. He's hers. Not mine. I smooth out my scrubs and walk towards her. I hold out my hand and smile. "Hi, I'm nurse Quinn. I'm one of the nurses in charge of Mr. Evans" She blinks at me a couple times before fixing her composure and shaking my hand. "Taylor." I put my hand down by my side and look back at August. He gives me a confused look before walking over to the wall he first backed me into and leaning into it. "What do you want Taylor?" His voice is so cold right now. So distant. So angry. Who is this woman?

"We need to talk," She pause and sighs. "I just wanna talk" I think this is my cue to leave. It's already been about 20 minutes and I'm extremely tired. "Hi? Can you leave? We need to talk" I'm taken back but I quickly fix my face and nod and smile. I begin to walk to his door but I'm stopped. "No. Bella. Don't move." What do I do? I don't want to insert myself into this conversation but he doesn't want me to leave and for some reason it makes me happy. I turn back around and walk to him. He opens his arms and I just lean into him. I wrap my arms around his torso and he wraps his around my entire body. Basically engulfing me in his muscly frame. "August," He cuts her off. "I really don't want to talk to you right now Taylor but since you're clearly not leaving I need her to stay. Either deal with it or go."

I don't miss the way he says need instead of want. I hug him tighter and breath in his scent. I know that he heard me do it because I can feel his body shake with a soft chuckle. So soft that I'm pretty sure Taylor didn't hear it.

They way he has me pressed against his body would have me believe that she is not a girlfriend so I allow myself to relax even more into his body. "August. You haven't let anyone touch you since you got back" I can't say I'm surprised. Well. I am. A little but not really. He didn't let me touch him either. Or the nurses. But now I'm the only one who can touch him. He doesn't say anything so she continues. "Why are you letting this nurse get so close? I was scared for her. You made me scared for her. You made me scared." I feel tears prick my eyes. If I've learned anything being with him so much it's that he doesn't like to be called scary. It makes him mad and then he gets sad. And I can't handle either one. To know people are scared of him is not a big surprise but it is sad. If people just heard his cry for help every time he pushed them away then they would see he is a big sweetheart.

I will admit that sometimes he is scary. Like when he yells or throws something be most of the time he's sweet and soft and brooding. He "broods" so much. I feel him tap my arm a couple times before rubbing my back so I look up at him. He's already looking down at me though and when our eyes meet he quietly says, "you're squeezing pretty hard love" I close my eyes and just listen. Then I realize that I am squeezing pretty hard and quickly loosen my arms.