Just Rose

Chapter 44

‘He’s male! There all pretty typical from what I’ve seen.’ Abby huffed, annoyed that her plan was not being met with smiles and thumbs up.

‘At the grand old age of nineteen may I add!’ Rose shuffled her off the arm and started rearranging cushions distractedly. Trying not to be moody with her best friend.

‘Shut up old fogey. I’m sure I know as much as your twenty-seven-year-old ass!’

‘Look I’m tired, Abby. It’s been a hell of a week and a hell of a day. I can’t think about this right now and I just want to stop. Turn on a movie, we will raid the freezer for ice cream and you can crash in my bed tonight.’ She glanced at her watch seeing the late hour and hoped to god this would appease her. She also didn’t want to face the night alone in an empty bed when she was feeling this fragile.

‘Okay, okay boss.’ She smiled. ‘But I get to pick though, and this is not end of conversation! It’s just to be continued!... I need to go text that ass and tell him I’m staying!’

Rose sent her a mock-pained look as the girl slid out her phone from her bag and rolled her eyes.

‘Only thirty new messages from Duncan. Jeez, that boy is in love!’ Her cheeks tinted red and delight shone through, despite her mocking him.

‘It’s going well then?’ Rose had an armful of trash and crockery as she moved through to the kitchen to discard it all. ‘I think he will be pulling out a ring in no time!’ She jested.

‘You think?’ Abby looked hopeful then brushed it away, making jokes about him just being her ‘hoe’ of the minute and nothing more than a toy boy. Rose wasn’t fooled and saw the look on her face when she was typing replies to him and ending them with a dozen kisses. Moments later she came through to join Rose in the kitchen both simultaneously nosing in the freezer, searching for that elusive ice cream

‘Asshole asked if I wanted to be picked up.’ Abby butted in while moving around food in the freezer.

‘You mean Rob?’ Rose sighed, hating that even his name on her lips caused her heart to contract bitterly.

‘I mean what I said. And I told him NO. That were getting a stripper and some vodka shots and later you’re going to be eating ice cream off his six pack.’

‘ABBY!’ Rose sent the boxes of frozen food she was moving aside, flying everywhere.

‘He said to have a nice time!’ Abby giggled and scooped down to retrieve the boxes and bags.

‘You actual brat! I thought you were serious for a minute.’ Rose’s elevated heart rate was not seeing the funny side just yet.

‘What do you care what he thinks...? His loss!’ Abby shrugged ‘If he’s stupid enough to lose you then he deserves to be tortured.’

‘You told him the truth though, right?’ Rose ignored those last comments.

‘I told him we’re having a girly night in and I’m staying, okay?’ Rolling her eyes and mocking a huff, Abby elbowed her friend gently. Rose relieved, nodded and bopped her on the head with the now located strawberry ice cream.

* * *

Having Abby on side and always there to talk made an enormous difference to Rose’s state of mind. As though some of the burden and heartbreak had been shared, allowing space to breathe. To be able to get some perspective. Maybe it was having someone she could joke about things with and make light of the heartbreak, that in a way helped ease the pain. Or maybe it was just not being alone with her own thoughts, going crazy and not being able to vent.

Abby had upped a gear in terms of keeping her friend occupied and between work, and her little friend, she was rarely lost for something to do. The days had flown by far quicker and thankfully run ins with Rob had been non-existent for the past couple of weeks. Apparently, he had thrown himself head first into work and had been gone on a lot of trips. In a way, and this upset, it made Rose feel better, she was glad he wasn’t around to run into and wasn’t spending his time with Morag, but at the same time she was broken over the fact that he was simply moving on with his life and didn’t seem to miss her at all. There had been no contact.

Her parents were arriving today, in time for the fete tomorrow, and to be honest, Rose was looking forward to their arrival more than she could ever remember. She had missed them a lot more since moving here than she ever had in London and when you were feeling low and vulnerable, you could really use your parent’s cuddles. She put it down to the over emotional rollercoaster ride she had been on lately and looked forward to seeing them.

They were booked into a small guest house a few miles away, seeing as there was no longer a guest room in the cottage. She had offered them her room and she would have taken the couch, but they refused. They wanted to visit in style and treat it like a proper holiday weekend. They had chosen a beautiful guest house with great reviews online, close enough to spend a load of time with Rose but far enough to not be breathing down on her the entire time they were here. She had to admit that she liked that idea more than cohabiting and being cramped up when she was still nursing a broken heart.

They finally arrived mid-morning and showered her with cuddles and kisses, admiring and complimenting the cottage as she showed them around and smothering Muffin in kisses. Muffin had been a gift from her mother when she had left to live in London. One of her mother’s own dog’s offspring, so they had genuine love for the little fur ball. They loved to see how much he had grown since the last time they saw him and as always lavished him with treats and gifts and another dog bed. This was as close to grandkids as her parents had so far and it showed.

After the initial welcoming excitement had calmed down, tea and cakes consumed and generally getting used to seeing one another again and catching, they headed to town. They had planned to walk on this gloriously beautiful day, conversation never drying up where her mother was concerned. The sun was still high, but the overall heat was becoming cooler as weeks went on. Soon it would be colder and darker and winter would start moving in.

Her mother had brought her a beautiful sundress to add to her ever-growing collection, which she was now wearing proudly. It floated around her legs as she walked in a beautiful subtle floral print on a buttercream base. It was strappy and floaty and feminine and made Rose feel like a princess. A new dress could always lift her mood; her mother knew what she liked only too well, and it warmed her heart that she would still buy clothes for her.

They met Abby at the opening to the manor as planned and together they all walked into town along the grass verge of the main road. As usual, the road rarely had much traffic and was a pleasant walk. They had left Muffin home chewing on a new pig’s ear and trying out his new over fluffy, over plumped dog bed with matching blanket.

Her parents immediately adored Abby, finding conversation easy and quizzing the girl on her studies and home life.

Rose’s dad was a lot like Hamish Munro in that he was large and grey haired and loved to joke. Abby immediately struck up a great camaraderie and the pair of them had Rose and her mother in stitches as they arrived in the town center. A shared sense of humour and irresistibly funny together.

Wandering into the center of town to the desired destination, Rose took the lead, looking back towards her little brood as they continued to chat; right into Bella’s bakery. Turning to scope the tables for free seats, her face immediately fell as she was greeted by Rob and Morag standing at the counter, both backs to her and oblivious to her sudden appearance.

Here we go again!

She felt her insides droop, Morag had her arms entwined around Rob’s Left arm as he tapped his wallet on the counter. Distracted while she talked, he was looking straight ahead at the wall of prices and cake lists, with a stance that suggested he was uptight. Probably a dreadful day at work or Morag giving him a hard time over something pointless. Rose’s stomach dropped, the colour instantly draining from her face and leaving an icy coldness to spread throughout her body.

Her sudden stop caused Abby to walk right into the back of her with a massive muffled ‘Ooooft’ noise, sending Ross sprawling forward and having to grab a nearby chair to steady herself. Rose’s dad laughed and skipped around the pair, pulling her mother out of the way to avoid a further collision and just making it even more obvious they were all there. Rob turned, as did Morag, to see what the weird noise was.

Locking eyes for a mere second as she straightened herself up and fixed her twisted dress, she looked away and headed towards the nearest empty table she could, hearing Abby awkwardly introducing her brother to Rose’s parents. Rob’s smooth charming voice and easy manner as her parents warmed up to him gave absolutely nothing away and even Abby sounded convincingly normal.

Way to go Laird!

She had known they would instantly love him, it had been inevitable and today was the last thing she could deal with. Morag’s high pitch purr was in full swing as she managed to sound very much like the lady in control, the one Rose had met at the museum so long ago. Mask fully stuck on today then.

Rose bit her lip, unable to turn around, but instead started to lay her bag on the chair and pull seats out for her family. Concentrating on breathing and keeping her legs from buckling under her. Seeing him was one thing but seeing him with a serpent wrapped around his body was unbearable. Rose hated the fact that even after a couple of weeks she still went to pieces at his presence.

Abby appeared immediately, trying to catch her eyes and smiling to cover Rose’s obvious loss of mood as she too slid off her bag and propped it on one of the seats and moved the menu cards off the table. Her parents were at the counter with Rob and Morag, ordering coffees and cakes, completely oblivious to anything going on before them.

‘Smile, sit up and dazzle.’ Abby warned under her breath and kept her eyes firmly on Rose, so she could glance over her head at the group behind.

‘Easier said than done.’ Rose whispered back, aware her cheeks were heating, and her hands had started to tremble.

‘Go to the ladies’ room and powder your nose, take a minute to gather yourself.’ Abby smiled softly, eyes motioning widely that she had a chance to escape for a minute before they came over.

Rose sent her a silent thank you before retreating to the lady’s room to pull herself together and take some deep breaths with her head between her knees. Her hands were shaking, her skin had lost all colour. Damn her, for leaving her bag and blusher compacts out at the table.