Rose Red

Buttercup

When I pull into work I already regret having my legs and belly out. Not only is it colder outside than I thought but it's also cold in the building. As I'm passing all the nurses, doctors and patients they all smile and hug me but most of them are confused. Even on my off days I'm still here. Which has been true so many times. Hopefully after today I'll spend my other two off days at home.
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After staring at the clock for 10 minutes I deduce that his therapy session is more than over and that I can finally talk to him. I make my way up the elevator and then use the stairs to go up to floor three. I'm just about to knock when my arm is being tugged on. I look at the owner of the hand on my arm and try my best to smile. "Hi Taylor" She smiles back. "What brings you by today?" She still just smiles at me. "I don't want you coming here on your free time" I give her a shocked look. I can't even try to act like I'm not shocked. That's such an unexpected thing for her to say. "Can I know why?" Her smile drops. "No." I nod. "Can you let me go?" She quickly drops my arm and just as fast as she does that I bust into his room.

It may have been too much too suddenly but at the moment I don't care. "Hi auggie!" He smirks at me but it drops very fast. I see him look behind me before opening his arms. I know that he wants me to fall into them and I really want to but I can't help but wonder. Is he doing this because of her? He wouldn't want to randomly hug me any other time. He simply wants to prove something to her. Whatever it may be it's none of my business and I don't want any part of it but I never and I mean never pass on a hug. So I walk into his arms. Just like last time. And I let him hold me for a couple seconds before acknowledging taylor.

"I thought I told you to leave me alone. I thought I told you not to come here after yesterday." I'm taken back. She was here? Yesterday? He didn't tell me that. I look up at him but he's already looking down at me. He lightly shakes his head and I know enough to know that that particular head shake means not right now. So I let it go for the time being. "I was just telling her the same thing. I don't want her here all the time. Specially when she's clearly not working" He chuckles. And not just any chuckle. No, this was the chuckle you give someone who accidentally kills your cat, shrugs and goes 'well you were allergic anyways' This was a dry, bitter chuckle. This was a scary chuckle. Not like the ones he gives me.

"Good thing it's not up to you. I want her here which means she's welcome here anytime of any day." He pauses and stares straight into her eyes. "Unlike you."
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You'd think after 10 minutes of someone telling you they didn't want you anywhere near them ever again you would take a hint and leave but that does not seem to be the case. You think someone flat out saying "I don't want you in my life" would make someone leave but apparently it does not. You would think after hearing someone tell you to get out or they were getting a restraining order would make someone leave and you would be right. Taylor left but not without fight. It only took 20 minutes of August telling her to leave and that he never wanted to see her again for her to finally say see you later.

"August" He looks down at me. "Why does she want to be in your life so much?" He sighs and closes his eyes. "She knew me before the war. She wants the old August. Not to say I'm any different but you know more than anyone war changes you" He opens his eyes. "Just a little" I nod my head. "She was here yesterday?" He shakes his head at me while smirking. "No big deal. She wasn't here long. Now," He pauses and walks over to his bed. "You said you had something important to tell me?" I nod my head and walk over to his chair. I sit down and look at my hands resting in my lap. Maybe I shouldn't tell him. Maybe I should go with my gut feeling that he will say no and call it a day.

Maybe I shouldn't have come here at all. I should have stayed at home. As I continue to think of all the reasons I shouldn't be here I hear him cough. "Arabella. Look at me" I quickly look up at him. "What is it?" I shake my head but he gives me a stern look. "Buttercup just tell me." I'm taken back by the nickname and I know he is too. I can tell that neither of us thought he would call me anything other than my name. I take a deep breath and begin "Well, yesterday when Mr. Green, lovely boss by the way, pulled me into the hall and he told me about a new project sunshine valley is working on. You know what? I never really understood that name. Sunshine valley isn't too sunshiney. It's not really a happ-" He clears his throat and gives me a look of amusement. I'm rambling. "Oh sorry," I know my cheeks are redder than they've ever been.

"Um, anyway. He said that I was the perfect candidate for said new, well us really. Um we are the perfect candidates for the project." I stop and look up at him. He looks at me expectedly. "What's the project?" I give him a sheepish look.