by Lilly Purdon
“We’re not going to my house right?”
I shook my head.
With her arms around my waist, we sped into the distance. She gave me the directions to her female best friend’s house. It was tacky as hell. Possibly the ugliest house I had ever seen. The lawn decorations were beyond tacky. The house itself looked unstable- the government seriously needed to put a sign up telling people how dangerous that shit was.
When her friend saw me, she freaked out.
Rambling shit to Rosaline, as Rosie stood there, obviously half unconscious- it was going in one ear and right out the other. I kept my eye on Rosie, she really wasn’t feeling well. We enough clothes for two nights in a backpack, and sped off.
I wasn’t in the mood to deal with my stepdad, nor her stepmom, nor anyone else… so I took us to a motel on the outskirts of town. I stopped at a pharmacy along the way to pick up a couple of things for her.
She didn’t protest, in fact, she barely talked.
I bribed a nurse at the pharmacy to write a doctor’s note saying Rosie was too sick to go to school, just so she wouldn’t freak out if she couldn’t make it into school on Monday.
Even though we got the biggest room in the motel, it was still pretty small. I had gotten separate twin beds for us, since she probably wanted to sleep alone. She was the walking dead- literally. The girl barely had any energy left.
I had to help her into the bathroom. I noticed she kept the door unlocked the entire time she was in there, but I had respect, though it was hard to resist, I didn’t take any sneak peeks at all.
Of course, she screamed out from the bathroom, “I forgot a towel!” with the energy she had left. I rushed over to her and handed her one.
The poor girl was only able to put on her underwear and shorts, before she fell against the sink. I heard the fall, and rushed into help her up. She was passed out from exhausted. I lifted her up with the towel around her chest and carried her to the bed.
I couldn’t let her sleep with merely a towel covering her chest, so I helped her put on her shirt. I sat behind her, and kept her sitting up. Slowly, I put her head through the hole, and each arm through the arm holes following that.
Her skin was like Egyptian silk. I found satisfaction in helping her. Helping her made me feel like I finally had a purpose.
While helping her put on her shirt, my hand brushed her breast. It took every ounce of my strength to hold myself back from holding her close.
What was wrong with me?
I put a damp towel on her head to soak the heat. I remembered my mom helping me as a kid the same way.
I ran my thumb over her cheek. She was truly something else.
I had to stop myself from further touching her by showering and distracting myself.
She had become my soft spot; my Achilles’ ankle. She could break or make a man. I let the hot water run over me. I thought about life.
I thought I had no purpose.
But simple actions.
Standing up for her, and standing by her side.
Gave her strength.
And I really loved seeing her fight back.
I liked seeing her with the power she possessed.
She was a queen, earning her crown.
Everyone was trying to prevent her from doing so.
Jaxon.
Layla.
Matt.
Even Kasay.
I felt they all needed her for selfish reasons.
So do you.
I wanted to make her happy. I didn’t mind being lonely, as long as it made her happy. I wasn’t selfish with her. I wanted her to gain her strength, her freedom…
I thought about her being with someone else, and almost broke the bathroom tiles with my fists.
I needed her to breathe me.
I needed to be all she desired.
I needed her to gain her freedom, but choose to come back to me.
~*~
Chapter 31 FEVER DREAMS
I woke up before Rosie did. My stomach was painfully growling. We had skipped dinner last night because I fell asleep from the moment I put my head on the pillow. I got a quick shower and changed into some spare clothes I always kept in my baby’s compartment. That place could fit wanders.
It was actually pretty chilly in the morning. I locked Rosie inside to make sure she was safe, and took a short walk outside. I walked to a little diner down the road. I could’ve taken my bike, but I just needed more time to think about things. Damn, I should’ve brought a jacket.
The road was completely empty. We were outside of town anyways.
I pushed through the doors and was hit in the face with the smell of bacon and cheese. Thankfully, it was warm inside.
“Mr. Spencer,” the old cook greeted.
“Jeff,” I greeted back. He used to work at the house, but my dad fired him because the food was ‘too greasy’. I liked my food cooked that way. Greasy and fried. “Got anything for a sick girl to eat here?”
“We have some cream mushroom soup, today’s special.”
“I’ll take one of that then.”
I looked up at the menu. Would Rosie get full with just a container of soup?
“You got a girl?”
She wouldn’t be coming to this diner anyway, so I might as well… “Well I don’t have her, but she’s the best one yet,” I smiled.
“Hope she’s no trouble maker.”
“Oh no, no,” I shook my head, “she’s… a good gal’. Straight A’s, calm, kind, patient, and looks at the world positively most of the time.”
Jeff’s lip tugged upwards as he flipped a patty, “you should hear yourself. Ain’t love a pretty thing?”
“Oh no, no, I’m not in love-”
“You can’t deny that smile on yer’ face boy.”
I didn’t want him getting the wrong idea… well, I gave him the idea in the first place. So I was to blame.
“Why don’t you make her yours?”
I was taken aback by his question.
“If she makes ya’ that happy, why don’t you marry the girl?”
“Marrying is a bit too far-”
“Make her yours boy! Before someone else sweeps her off her feet.”
The guy had a point.
“What else would a girl like on your menu?”
“Most girls are picky. Take one of everything, and then see what she likes.” He joked.
I did exactly what he said.
~*~
Walking back with two paper bags full of food earned me weird stares from the maids at the motel. I was used to em’. They must’ve thought I was feeding an entire family in the room. I unlocked the door, and slipped in quickly to stop the cold from getting in.
I was so tempted to say, ‘Rosie I’m home!’, but I stopped myself. That’d be a bit weird for her. It felt so nice going back to place where someone who cared was waiting for you.
“Rosie,” I called out.
She still lay asleep. Somehow, she still managed to look adorable with bed hair.
“Rosie,” I called out again.
She still didn’t wake up. I unpacked one of the boxes that contained a dish with bacon in it. I opened it and waved it in front of her nose. Her eyes flew open immediately.
“HUNGRY!”
I was so startled, I almost dropped the box.
She lifted herself up and sniffed the air, “you have food?”
I nodded quickly, holding up the box, “I got you some food.”
She looked behind me, “what’s that?” she pointed at the paper bags I had carried in.
“Drugs,” I joked.
She screamed.
Wrong move Axel, bad timing.
“Just kidding, I’m only playing,” I quickly put the box down in front of her and went to open the paper bags to prove it was just food.
She calmed down.
“Sorry, I don’t feel too well,” she said, seeming aware.
“Well, I got you breakfast.” I brought over the
containers of food and placed them on her bed. She got off of her bed to make room for the food.
“Thank you,” her voice was so sweet. It was satisfying to hear her approval, “How much did you get?”
“I didn’t know what you wanted,” I got picked up the last container of food and placed it on the bed, “so I got one of everything.”
She seemed to be slipping in and out of self awareness. She started laughing; “really?” her voice was high like a little girl’s voice.
I frowned, “is that bad?”
She suddenly seemed aware again, “no, no, will we finish it though?”
“How hungry are you?” I asked.
Her stomach growling was an answer for me.
“We’ll manage.” I opened the container of soup and handed it to her with a spoon, “Since you’re not feeling too well.”
She finished the soup in less than a minute.
It was good I had brought more food.
I chose what she didn’t seem to want to eat. I gave her the first picks. There was something comforting in seeing her being treat with respect and seeing her being put first for once. No one else seemed to realize they didn’t treat her too well…. Except Dustin.
The guy was too nice to everyone.
I made sure to keep a close eye on how close he and Rosie were. He seemed like the type of guy she’d end up falling for.
“Eat more,” she tossed me a breakfast burrito. Even with her terrible aim, I still managed to catch it.
I noticed her slowly shift towards me on the bed we were sitting on. I don’t know whether she was doing it consciously, but I’d like to think she was.
Surprisingly, we only had a breakfast burger left. We were so hungry, we managed to finish everything else.
“I feel gross, I haven’t brushed my teeth.”
She was slipping back into her unaware self. I felt her forehead with the back of my hand; the fever was still there. She needed to sleep it off.
“Do you want to go home?”
She shook her head, “step mom.”
“She’s going to my step dad’s at 10.” I glanced at my watch, it was 9:23. “We can head there now and just go in when she leaves.”
She seemed aware once again, “we can’t risk it. What if she’s gone for only a short time?”
“She’s usually there for hours at the least-”
“What if she decides to turn around and come home?”
“We can lock the door.”
“What if she breaks the door down?”
She was getting a bit silly again.
“What if she doesn't?”
“But I'm saying what if she does?”
“And I'm saying what if she doesn't?”
She groaned in annoyance, “you’re impossible.”
“Impossibly sexy?”
“Sometimes,” she mumbled.
Yep, definitely not fully conscious.
“What was that?” I smirked at her.
“Nothing…”
“Whatever you say Princess, but I'm taking you home, and there's no way you can talk me out of it.”
“But-”
I put my index finger on her lips to stop her from talking, “Don't even waste your breath, Flower.”
She rolled her eyes at me, “Whatever Mr. Bad Boy.”
~*~
---Rosie's P.O.V---
On the way to my house, I felt myself get a little hotter every second, but I was too tired to complain. Axel didn't mind me wearing his helmet while I had a fever. He also didn't mind the fact that I was clinging onto his waist like a baby monkey clinging onto a branch.
I leaned my head against his back and sighed as we sped down some streets. Even though I was wearing a helmet, I could still smell his rich scent. His scent was intoxicating and addicting. I just couldn't get enough of his smell.
I wondered what cologne he used. Maybe I should’ve asked him. I felt a bead of sweat roll down my forehead. Axel said it wasn't even hot out here. It was almost November; it shouldn't have felt like mid-summer. Especially in the state we lived in.
“You okay?” Axel asked.
I nodded against his back. I didn't want to get it him worried over my stupid fever.
“You sure?” he asked again.
I nodded again, “stop worrying.”
I thought I heard a faint, “I can’t,” but I ignored it. It must’ve been my imagination. Axel wouldn’t say that to nerdy Rosaline.
“Where are we?”
“Almost there," his voice soothed me.
I yawned.
A few moments later, we pulled to a stop in front of my house.
---Axel's P.O.V---
“How do you know where I live?”
I scratched the back of my head. How was I supposed to answer that question without creeping her out? She sounded out of it and not sober. She probably wasn't thinking straight with her fever.
“Well, aren’t you going to tell me?” she asked.
I decided not to reply at all.
“I’ll just assume you stalk me then.”
I could never expect what she was going to do or say next. “I don't stalk you.”
“Sure you don't,” she said in a disbelieving tone.
“But I don’t!”
I was obviously guilty.
“Then how do you know where I live?” she challenged me.
“A little birdy told me,” I lied smoothly and crossed my fingers behind my back hoping she wasn't thinking straight enough to catch the horrible lie.
“What birdy?” she asked suspiciously.
Relief washed over me as I realized she wasn't thinking straight at all. “Tweety,” I replied lamely. I was even shocked at how dumb I sounded.
I heard her curse under her breath. “Damn it! I should've known he was a spy all along.”
I stared at her, amused. She was actually upset with herself. Fantasy and reality were getting mixed up in her head.
I quickly got onto the bike and motioned for her to follow. I drove a couple houses down to watch Rosie’s stepmom leave her house. She drove a pretty new convertible. She treated herself well with the money Rosie’s dad gave to them, yet didn’t save any for Rosie. It made my blood boil.