Page 17 of Kiss From A Rose

"You called the kids yet?" Malou asked.

I shook my head. "I'm scared. I think I'll try this weekend. But maybe I don’t need to worry—they rarely pick up when I call anyway."

"You love your family, Rose."

I patted Malou's dark hand. When we were little, they used to call us Black & White. We used to be inseparable, like you could only be when your home was a disaster, and you were each other's lifeline.

We'd done well for ourselves. We'd gotten out of the trailer park.

Look at us now!

"I do love my family, but I need to be loved too," I told her. "I'm so tired of taking care of those who don't return the favor."

"That includes me?" Malou croaked.

I laughed. "You're my girl, Malou. We're ride or die, hon."

She gave out a raspy laugh that turned into a cough. She drank some tea to calm her throat. "You need to tell them where you are, Flower Girl."

"They know I'm with you. None of them ever bothered to come with me to see myonlyfriend. I mentioned Angel Island to them, but I doubt they were even listening to me or remember."

I was bitter,yes. I had been nobody to my family—just Mama and wife; better to be seen and not heard; sometimes it was even best to be not seen or heard.

"Rose, being alone ain't a bad thing. I was alone, but I had you.Hell, you won't even have that after I'm gone. See, it's okay to be alone; it ain't okay to be lonely. So, when Gray comes to you, cause he will, you make sure he knows why he wants you back."

A sob tore its way out of me. "I don't think he wants meback, Malou. I don't think he wanted me in the first place."

I rested my head on her shoulder, and she held me close. We sat together like we used to when we were children, hiding while some guy my mother was seeing was fucking her coked-up body, or Malou's father was beating on her mother.

Now, our monsters were inside us—her cancer and my broken heart.

CHAPTER 8

Gray

Ileft work early and went to Holden's place. We were brothersandfriends, and if anyone could see my blind spots, it would be him.

"Hey, what's up?" Holden asked because my pain, I knew, was written on my face.

"Bonnie around?" I didn't want to deal with my sister-in-law, who was a bitch, and then some on a good day.

"Nah. She's out. Girl's night."

"Excellent. I need a good drink."

We went into his den, the one place in his home where Bonnie left Holden alone to watch football and drink himself into a stupor.

I sat on a leather chair and thanked Holden when he gave me two fingers of scotch. He sat across from me.

"What's got your knickers in a twist, brother?"

"Rose left me." The words came out as a whimper.

"When?"

"A couple of weeks ago."

Holden nodded as if not surprised. "I guess…congratulations?"

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