Page 8 of Into the Fire

That was the first red flag that made my heart jump into my throat.

“Rosie, what’s going on?” Fox asked, settling on the arm of the couch to study her. “You’ve been crying.”

She offered him a shaky smile. “I need to tell you guys something.”

“Rosalie,” Fox said, his voice changing to a warning. “No—”

“I changed my major to a teaching major. I went through with it.”

I snapped my focus to whatever Fox wanted her to not tell us, to what she said.

“Ex-fucking-cuseme?” I asked, sitting forward. “Why did you do that? Singing is your life, Rosebud.”

She sighed. “I did it because I know I won’t be able to be a singer while I’m here.”

Red flag number two was waving.

“But it’s OK. Anson found out and pulled me out of class and made me change it back, so I did.” She pulled a folded-up piece of paper out of her robe pocket and handed it to Fox.

“This is my new schedule. My singing one. I’m still taking a few extra classes, but they’re all music. I, um, won’t focus on teaching this semester. I’ll just see how things go and decide then.”

Fox unfolded the paper and stared down at it without a word before he handed it to me. I glanced over it and saw her vocal classes, piano, music writing, and a few others before I gave it to E to look over. When it made it to Enzo, he was the first to speak. There were ten million things I wanted to say to her, but I wanted to say them to her when we were alone. I figured they’d have more impact then.

“Rosalie, why didn’t you come and tell us you were changing your schedule? That you were serious about it?” Enzo asked, putting her schedule aside and studying her.

“The reality is that I didn’t want you guys to feel like it’s your fault.”

Enzo nodded, and I frowned.

Fuck it.

“It is our fault though,” I said. “We know you don’t want this life. You keep telling us. We keep acting like shit is going to get better, yet we haven’t done anything to prove it. So, fuck it. Let’s air it all out.” I couldn’t take this shit. The fear of losing everything was taking its toll on me. Losing Rosalie wasn’t an option. It never was, even at Black Falls. Ian could have been a fucking saint, and I’d have still stolen her back from him. She belonged to me. No fucking take-backs.

She blinked at me, clearly surprised by my words.

“You knew the life we led,” I continued. “You said you wanted us. We said we wanted you. That’s a mutual agreement to fucking ride together through it all. I don’t feel like we’re all riding in the same car. It’s more like we’re in different cars stuck in fucking traffic and there’s a goddamn elephant in the road. So, what do we do?”

She breathed out. “I love you all so much.”

“We know,” E said softly. “We love you too.”

“Sunshine, just say it,” Enzo murmured. “Anything on your mind, say it.”

“I want to sing,” she blurted out. “I really, truly do. I want to be on stage in front of thousands of people. I want you guys to be there with me. I don’t want to live a life like I’m living now with being forced into hiding all the time. I want freedom. I want to make friends and go out and shop like a normal person. See a movie. Eat ice cream and go out and dance.” She visibly swallowed. “And it scares me that I may never have that.”

We were all quiet at her words.

“Be free,” Fox finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Because I want that for you too.”

“What the fuck doesbe freemean?” I got to my feet, my pulse thundering in my ears. “She’s not fucking leaving us—”

“I have no intentions of ever leaving,” she said firmly.

I stared at her, my fucking guts in a mess of knots. She stared back, her green eyes filled with so many emotions it broke my damn heart. It calmed me enough to get me to sit down.

Fuck.

I wanted the world for my girl. Our girl.

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