Page 65 of Roses and Skulls

“You chose a man who always looks out for his daughter.”

Dirk covers his face with both of his hands as Jesse looks over at him. I’ve never watched someone fall in love with someone they’re already in love with but I’m witnessing it right now and holy hell do I want it for myself. If I can get Billie Rose to look at me like that, I’ll die a happy man.

Rosie pushes the other chime made of silver and labradorite stones. “This one I made thinking of you, dad. It reminds me of our eyes.”

He runs his hand over his face before looking down at it.

“I’ve always loved that I inherited your mood ring eyes. It’s my biggest flex,” she teases, trying to lighten the mood.

Dirk runs one of the rocks between his thumb and finger. “I don’t think that’s true. It’s your heart, baby girl, that’s your biggest flex. It always has been.”

Billie Rose looks at her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry about everything. I’ve been in so much pain.” She rubs her hands over the tops of her thighs.

Jesse leans forward. “Tell us how we can help you,” she says, her long silver-black hair falling over her shoulder.

Rosie looks up at them through tear filled eyes. “Just know that I’m trying. I… I don’t want to hide anymore, and I don’t want to hurt myself.”

Dirk and Jesse exchange a look.

“We don’t want you to move out. If working at the bar helps you feel close to grandpa then…” Jesses pauses. “Then that’s okay, just don’t leave us. Not now, not after we’re finally getting you back. We’ve missed out on so much the past few years.”

“You’re not going to lock me up?” Billie Rose asks, her body tensing at the thought.

Dirk reaches across the table and tilts her face with a finger under her chin. “Promise us you won’t hurt herself again. That you’ll reach out to someone. I don’t give a fuck who it is. It can even be this dipshit. But promise me you will never take a blade to your skin again.”

I pull a sucker out of my pocket, thinking that a cigarette would be really good about now. Sometimes, I’d like to clock this motherfucker. When I slide it into my mouth, I catch my girl’s mouth quirk up on one side.

“I promise,” she whispers. When her old man lets go of her, she turns to me, her eyes going to my mouth. “This dipshit has actually been very…” her cute little tongue runs over her lips before she finishes, “he’s been very helpful.”

Dirk flexes his hands on the table but otherwise remains calm. Jesse jumps up and walks over to the edge of the patio, hanging her chime on a hook that is sticking out from a beam. She stares at it admiringly and smiles to herself, tears streaming down her face, then she closes her eyes and raises her face to the blue sky.

Billie Rose turns back around to face her dad. He raises an eyebrow. “I… I need to talk to you. Later, in private,” she says quietly so that Jesse doesn’t hear.

He nods.

“I’m going to go change and then Elijah is giving me a ride to Lily’s.”

His gaze goes back to his wife, who is still smiling up at the sun. She really is stunning. Her daughter equally so.

“Is this something the others should hear?”

Billie Rose chews on the inside of her cheek which is just another way of hurting herself. I reach over and tap there, to stop her.

Dirk doesn’t know whether to thank me or punch me for touching his daughter.

“I don’t know.” She looks to me for guidance. I give her a quick nod. This is definitely something the others should know about. Billie Rose won’t be safe until that fuck is dead. I would feel better knowing that the others were watching her back while she brings him down.

But it has to be her… it’s the only way she’s going to be able to put this to rest and move on.

“Yeah, maybe you should call a meeting but…” her eyes dart over to where Jesse is standing. “It has to be a secret.”

Dirk’s jaw works back and forth. I’m sure there is very little he keeps from his wife. But I get why Billie Rose wants to keep her out of this, Dirk will too.

“We’ll meet at Dan’s at six. Don’t be late,” he tells her.

She rises from the table, and he stands too, pulling her into his arms and hugging her before shoving her towards the sliding doors. Jesse seems to be in a daze as she wanders down to the lake, leaving Dirk and I alone.

“Is she going to be okay?” I nod towards Jesse.

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