Page 63 of Roses and Skulls

After several minutes of throwing rocks, the size of my fist, I fall to the ground.

Elijah finally moves, coming to sit on the ground beside me, pulling me onto his lap, wrapping his arms around me.

I begin sobbing. “And then he walked away. I heard him yell at someone, telling them that grandpa wasn’t alone. They started cursing and I didn’t understand,” I cry into Elijah’s shirt.

My fingers wrap themselves tightly in the fabric, holding him close so when the final words come out of my mouth he doesn’t abandon me.

“Then another man came to my window.”

Elijah’s fingers stoke lightly over my arms.

“It… it was Draven.”

His fingers stop, his breathing stops. “Please don’t hate me,” I whisper, into his shirt. “Don’t leave me.”

His arms tighten around me. “Rosie, I could never hate you and I’ll never leave you. Never.” He rocks me back and forth as I sob uncontrollably, letting it all out.

Years of pent-up emotions pour out of me. I don’t know how long it goes on. I did feel Elijah shift me in his lap to pull his phone out but other than that he’s just held me, letting me cry, snot, and spit all over him. I would be embarrassed but it’s too cathartic for me to care.

When I quiet down, he asks the question I’ve been dreading. “Why didn’t you tell anyone, baby?”

My heart squeezes at the endearment in his tone. “I don’t know. I didn’t know how to deal with grandpa being gone and it was just too hard to talk. And then as time went on, I got angry, and I took it out on everyone but the one person who deserved it. But I see that now.”

“Let me help you,” He presses his lips to the top of my head.

Something shifts inside me. I lift my head and stare into his eyes, trying to figure out if I made the right decision. His fingers trail down the side of my face, he captures his tongue piercing between his teeth before running it along the bottom of them. “I want to watch you makehimbleed.”

A gust of wind echoes its approval.

I’m listening, grandpa.

I hear you now.

My eyes go back to the first wind chime I made. It’s time to remember who I really am. I let Draven steal my spark. Grandpa wouldn’t like that.

I reach in my pocket and send my dad a text. Elijah nods his head as he reads my dad’s instant response.

“I think this is a great start, Rosie.”

My heart feels a little lighter, the girl I used to be stretches, finally awakening after three long years. I take Elijah’s hand and we begin to gather up all the wind chimes. It’s time formeto make amends.

Chapter Sixteen

Elijah

When Jesse called me, I knew I was their final straw. Finally. I was up.

I’d been planning and preparing for this since I saw the pictures of her broken body. I’ll admit this is not what I expected but it’s fine. I’m going to hold that motherfucker down while she guts him.

In my mind, I thought the whole bar thing was just a way at getting back at her parents. My girl is a rebel at heart.

She may forever be daddy’s little girl, but she will always be my little rebel warrior.

She sits beside me in her mom’s rat rod. The first car my dad ever customized. It’s fucking cool and is as old school as you can get.

I’ve taken after him, my old man, except my taste lies in custom bikes. It’s my dream to start up my own shop someday. But first, I need to earn the respect of my girl and her club. All good things come to those who wait.

Don’t believe me? I’ve waited a long time for her and now here she is, sitting right beside me with her tiny hand curled in mine.

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