Page 46 of Roses for Rosie

Rosie is furious, that much is crystal clear. She said Scarlett has a diamond ring and she obviously thinks I gave it to her. That must mean she thinks we are engaged. If she thinks we are engaged, she must think that I’ve been with Scarlett recently. I bet she believes that I was seeing Scarlett while I was telling her that I couldn’t wait to get back to Jamesville.

The picture becomes clearer when I remember my encounter with Scarlett at the party a few weeks ago. What did she say? “It’s anything but over”, I hear her shrill voice echo in my ears. “You have not heard the last from me.”

Maybe I’m the naïve one, not Rosie. I didn’t think Scarlett was serious. Scarlett tends to be a bit of a drama queen; it comes with the profession I guess. She talks a big game, but I never dreamed she would follow through.

She’s mad about our breakup, I get that. Nobody likes to be dumped. I wonder if I am the first guy who ever broke it off with her. She seems like one who likes to do the leaving, not to be left. Her problem is with me though, not with Rosie. How dare she go to Jamesville?

I can’t believe she made the effort to fabricate a story, get a ring, go to Nooks and Books and confront Rosie. She is clearly more upset about this than I thought she was. She is also completely unhinged.

Before I can repair things with Rosie, I need to talk to Scarlett. We need to settle this once and for all. We are over – Scarlett and me. Over with a capital O. I was serious about the breakup the first time we talked about it and even more serious when she approached me at that party. If she thinks that destroying my relationship with Rosie is going to make me want her back, she has another thought coming.

I grab my phone from the bed where I left it and find Scarlett’s number in my contact list. I continue pacing the room while I wait for her to pick up. After the stunt she pulled today, I know she will pick up. She wanted my attention, well now she has it.

“Adam,” she purrs into the phone. “Just the man I wanted to talk to.”

“Cut the bullshit, Scarlett. How could you do this?”

“You should be thanking me, Adam. Sweet little Rosie from Jamesville is so beneath you. I honestly thought you knew better than that.”

“Who I date is none of your business, Scarlett. I don’t give two shits what you think about Rosie. I love her and that’s all that matters.”

“Love, huh? That’s rich.”

“Listen, Scarlett. You and I are over. We never should have been together in the first place. Stay away from me, stay away from Jamesville and for the love of God, stay away from Rosie. She doesn’t deserve your vitriol.”

“Are you threatening me?”

“Stop being such a child, Scarlett. We broke up, it’s over. It happens all the time. Move on with your life and I will move on with mine.”

“You’ll regret this, Adam.”

“Not nearly as much I regret letting you into my life. I never want to hear from you again, Scarlett. I’m serious.”

I hang up the phone before she can respond. My heart is pounding. I’m better with romance than I am with confrontation. Scarlett is not an easy woman to deal with. She is manipulative; she twists words to make them mean what she wants them to mean.

I think back over our conversation, looking for anything I said that she could misconstrue. Was I too harsh? Did I just make her even madder? No, I decide. Scarlett isn’t one to take a hint. Anything less would have given her enough wiggle room to find a path to the truth she wants to hear.

Now I just have to find a way to convince Rosie that every word which drops from Scarlett’s lips is a lie. She has to believe me. I have to win her back.

Chapter 23

Rosie

Sammy curls up in my lap, purring his heart out while I flip through Jessica Truvie’s latest bestselling book. Normally, I love her work, but today my heart just isn’t in it today. Her last romance made my pulse flutter and my heart clench with desire for love of my own. That was in the before times.

My life is now divided into two distinct periods – pre-Adam and post-Adam. The Adam epoch was so short I’m not even going to count it. Thinking about those few weeks churns up so many emotions I can hardly name them all let alone sort through them. Thoughts whirl through my head making it impossible to concentrate on anything.

I’m mad at myself for falling for his lines and letting him break my heart. I’m mad at him for lying to me and making a fool out of me. I’m mad at Scarlett for waltzing in here with her ring and her baby and killing my dreams.

More than that though I am mortified that I set myself up for a fall like that. I should know better than to think someone like me could interest someone like Adam. He’s rich and famous, which is great for him and all, but he’s also shallow and temperamental. Scarlett can have him.

When I find the right guy, he’ll be steady as a rock, ready to settle down with just one girl and to stick with it for the long term. He said I deserved better and he’s right. I deserve better than him.

Part of me is just plain sad though. Life was coated in sugar and glowed like the sun when Adam was around. I felt special. The way he rained his attention and affection on me felt so real. I was more than just Rosie from Jamesville when I was with him.

I didn’t know I wanted that until I had it. I was content with my life here, my job, my friends, even my father despite his shortcomings. Now I know what I’m missing though. My real life dulls like a dusty bookshelf in comparison to life with Adam. I wish a little wood polish could shine up my soul like it does the bookstore, but this problem isn’t that easy to solve.

Looking back on those days with Adam is like peeking through the window and glimpsing someone else’s life. I thought that life could be mine. Part of me still wishes that it could be. As angry and embarrassed as I am, I can’t help but be a little wistful too.

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