Page 126 of Roses and Skulls

Billie Rose is mine.

She actually got out a few days ago, said she needed a couple of days to regroup before I came for her. She’s been staying at my parent’s house.

I’m as nervous as a whore in church about seeing her again.

Something hasn’t been right. I can’t put my finger on it. I’m assuming it’s about Draven. He hurt her and I can’t get it out of my mind, how will she be able to ever get it out of hers?

“Elijah,” my mom calls from the kitchen when she hears me open the front door. I follow the smell of my favorite meal wafting down the hallway.

My dad is sitting at the table with a newspaper in his hand. He jumps up and rushes me, wrapping me up in a big old bear hug, my mom right behind him. “I’ve missed you, baby,” she says, tears clinging to her lashes.

When they pull away, my eyes dart around the room. “Where is she?”

My mom guffaws, whipping her towel at me. “Not even an,I missed you,back?”

I rub my hands together and give her a shit eating grin. “I missed you, ma.” I wrap my arms around her neck from behind, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“She’s down at the beach, told us to send you down there when you got here.”

My heart does this weird dip. “You mean she’s not here?” I don’t know why it bothers me, but I thought she would be waiting for me, here.

Dad gives me a stern look. “Treatment did not just turn the switch off, Elijah. She’s nervous about seeing you again.”

“I know,” I almost whine. Hearing it in my voice makes me straighten my shoulders, angry at myself for being so selfish. “I’ll head down there.”

He gives me a knowing smile. “Just be yourself. She doesn’t want anyone to treat her differently than they did before.”

My shoulders drop, air whooshing out between my lips. “Okay. But she’s good, yeah?”

“She’s good, son.” He pats me on the back as I make my way out the back door and down to the beach.

My girl is sitting off by herself, watching the waves roll in. Wisps of her dark hair blow in the gentle breeze. I take a deep breath of the salty air, closing my eyes. When I open them, she is standing, her stormy eyes glued to me.

She looks so damn good. My mouth pulls into a full, wide smile and that is all it takes before she is running to me, jumping in my arms.

My nose buries into her neck. God, she smells good.

I carry her back down to her blanket, but she doesn’t let go, so I carefully sit down and hold her and hold her and hold her.

“I’ve missed you, baby,” I whisper into her ear, trying to push her away from me so I can see her face.

Reluctantly, she sits back, still in my lap. “I almost forgot how hot you were,” she says shyly. A blush stains her rosy cheeks.

I press my lips to hers, and soon our tongues are getting reacquainted. When I pull away breathless, I look her over. “You look amazing,” I tell her.

Again, her face heats from my attention. “Thank you,” she says quietly, looking down between us.

She tries to climb off me, but I hold her tight around the waist. “Not yet. I just want to hold you.”

Her eyes bounce between mine and I know something is not right. My gut has been telling me for a long time now, I’ve just been choosing to ignore it.

“God, it would be so easy to forget the rest of the world and live in the warmth of your eyes,” she says, water beginning to pool in the corners of her own. She blinks twice and the tears spill down her cheeks.

“Then do it,” I tell her. “Who needs the rest of the world when we have each other.”

Her gaze focuses behind me, not on anything in particular. She’s lost in her own thoughts. For some reason, I thought treatment would heal all her wounds. That it would be like before…

She smiles at me, tears streaming down her face. “I have something I need to talk to you about. It’s why I asked for you to come. It’s why I’m here and not waiting for you at your parent’s.”

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