51. Rose
51
ROSE
Zander spent the whole day away. I know it had something to do with the information I dumped on him, but I tried not to think much about it. It was only possible by the welcome distraction Zach and Zane brought with them. After the panic episode, I had no desire for an eventful day and that’s exactly what they gave me.
A few minutes after Zander left, Zane joined me and Zach, and we spent the day lazing on the couch watching movies. They bickered over movie selection, what to order for dessert, and which of them has more of a following among office girls.
I know most of their theatrics were for my account, especially when they came from Zane, but I enjoyed it regardless. I don’t have much experience with siblings bickering, and I loved every bit of it.
I told them about our new house and that we’ll have a room for both of them. They laughed at my face, telling me how they’re never staying at our place, especially not so soon. They have no desire to see Zander’s naked ass or hear his grunts and moans.
Their words, not mine !
My cheeks burned thinking about that perfect ass and those macho grunts. My reaction only made them laugh harder.
“How are you feeling?” Zander asks as we sit on the couch after dinner.
A documentary about empty villages in Europe is running in the background.
I smile. “Better than yesterday.”
“I’m happy to hear it, couch girl.” He sighs deeply, relaxing back and taking me along with him.
Whatever happiness he says he feels doesn’t really reach his face.
“I love you, Rose. I want you to know that you can always talk to me about anything. For me, you and my brothers are the most important things in this world. Remember that.” He brings my hands to his mouth and presses a kiss on them.
“I know. It kills me to see you like this.” I know my truth has shaken him, but I hope we can return to some sort of normalcy soon.
He kisses me soft and slow, saying without words how much everything has rattled him. I kiss him back, telling him how much his concern means to me. His anxiety about something that happened to me in almost another life, when no one cared for me, fills my heart with so much warmth.
“Tell me something. Anything. Make me forget yesterday,” I plead with him, my face hidden in his chest.
I thought he might resist and would insist we talk more about the incident. But he surprises me when he starts telling me a different story.
“When my dad was still alive, we didn’t have a fireplace in the house. But I’d seen in movies that Santa comes through the chimney. ”
I glance up at him so that he can see my smile. He knows I love hearing about the happy part of his childhood. I crave those stories.
Zander smiles back and continues. “Zach was only four then, and he wanted a parrot so he could teach the bird all those bad words we weren’t allowed to use.”
I can so see a naughty toddler Zach concocting his devious plan.
“Now, I was young myself, okay? So don’t judge me too much.” Zander bites back his smile.
I giggle, itching to know where his story is going.
“So, the chimney wasn’t possible. But a tunnel was.” Zander makes an imaginary pathway with his curled fingers. “I dug out a tunnel from the main gate to the porch. Next day, I got a parrot from a neighbor lady. I told her it was a Christmas gift for my brother, and she gave it to me for whatever pocket money I’d saved. So, I kept the bird on the far end of the tunnel and closed both the holes with stones so that it didn’t fly away.”
“Oh my God.” My hands clasp together, and I bring them closer to my chest.
Zander gives me a lopsided smile, the dimple on his left cheek on display as he blinks mischievously. “Now, come next morning, I took Zach to the porch and removed the stones I’d put on that side of the tunnel. I’d hoped to find the bird, but it wasn’t there. I ran back to the other side, and I still couldn’t find it.”
“Fish! You killed it?”
“Yeah,” he says, shrugging lightly.
I chuckle, watching him pull on the collar of his shirt in embarrassment.
“I told you I was a kid myself.” A flush creeps across his cheeks, and I nod, biting back my shocked laugh. “So, I dug out the whole thing. The poor bird was a few inches into the tunnel, lying flat. I had to bury it again, before my parents found out about it. But Zach was happy anyway. Whenever he wanted to say a swear word, he’d run to the burial place and blurt everything. If my parents asked what he was doing, he’d say he was teaching the words to the bird.”
I laugh out at the crazy story. “Zach was naughty all his childhood?”
“Till he couldn’t be.”
My smile drops at his words, my heart squeezing for Zach. I know Zander’s brothers have their own scars. I might not see them, but they’re there, a reminder of their mother’s negligence.
“Thank you for sharing that with me.” I kiss his cheek.
He rubs his nose on my naked shoulder, my loose T-shirt stooping low. “Do I just get a kiss in return?”
“What else do you want?”
“You. All of you.”
“You have all of me, Zander. From the moment we laughed over that picture of Wolverine.”
“And you me, couch girl.”
“What’s left?” Zach storms into the kitchen as Zander and I are just finishing our breakfast.
“How are you always hungry?” My eyes graze over Zach. He doesn’t even have an ounce of fat on him, but he’s in a perpetual state of food hunting.
He replies to my question with a grunt, scanning the kitchen to find anything to put in his mouth.
“We have some strawberry shake left.” I point toward the blender when he starts looking inside every jar and pot, including the empty ceramic flower vase.
Without missing a beat, Zach opens my kitchen cabinet and pours the leftover shake into a glass that he’d just grabbed .
Thankfully, Clem is away for a week on an internship. I’m not sure how she’d feel about Zander and his brothers getting all domestic in our kitchen.
“Why ar-re we here?” Zane asks from where he’s standing at the kitchen’s entrance.
“Let everyone get here first,” Zander replies, refilling his coffee mug.
Yesterday evening, he told me that we’d have a few guests over, including Ashcroft’s family. I was surprised that Zander never mentioned Ashcroft’s wife and daughter before. But I was more shocked by the fact that they’re estranged.
Ash is a wonderful man. Why would someone leave him? And there’s no way he would let his family slip away; he’s so like Zander. Family means a lot to him.
My gaze wanders to Zander as he sips his coffee, leaning against the kitchen counter, and my breath hitches at the sight of him. Dressed in blue jeans and a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up to mid-forearm, he looks breathtaking.
When my gaze finally settles on his face, I notice his focus is on me.
Is he afraid I’m going to have another panic attack?
“I’m fine.” I answer his unspoken question.
After a beat, he smiles and strides toward me. “I’m very pleased to hear that, couch girl.”
My heart skips a beat when he bends down to place a kiss on my lips. If there was a silver lining to my panic attack, it was that it brought Zander and me closer. I didn’t know this man could love me any more, but he surprised me yet again.
My hands go around his neck to hold him closer when he tries to pull away. I can feel his smile on my lips, and he kisses me again. This time, with more fervor, pushing his tongue into my mouth, and I follow his lead.
A throat clearing reminds me that we’re not alone.
Crab!
“This is the reason we’re not staying overnight in your new house, at least not until the honeymoon phase is over.” Zach pretends to be irritated, or I think he pretends, because before leaving the kitchen, he winks at me.
The four of us have moved into the living room when Beast arrives. He man-hugs the boys before moving to me.
“Rose, my dear, how are you?”
Instead of giving me a side hug like he did to the boys, Ash opens his arms for me to walk up to him, and I do.
“I’m well. How are you?” I ask after taking a step back.
“Can’t complain.” He affectionately pats my cheeks. His eyes, as always, are warm. Ash raises an eyebrow at Zander. “You said it was something urgent. What is it?”
“Not everyone is here.”
As if on cue, the doorbell rings.
Zander opens the door, and the smile on my face disappears upon seeing Oscar and Kristy.
What are they doing here?
My gaze moves from her face to her flat stomach, and the familiar feeling of dread returns. Since my meltdown, I’ve tried to not think about her and her news .
My breathing quickens, and at once, Zander is beside me. He rubs my arms, providing me with his warmth and strength.
“Shh, babe. Just breathe,” he whispers in my ear.
Kristy perches on the other end of the couch, while I’m bundled on Zander’s lap. She keeps a distance between us, and tears fill her eyes to see me in panic. I hate myself for doing this to her, for making her feel that she’s somehow responsible for what’s happening to me.
“I’m sorry,” I mouth to her, tears pooling in my own eyes as she shakes her head.
I try to keep my focus only on Zander’s touch keeping me safe. Slowly bringing me back from the world haunted by my fears.
When Zander introduces our new guests to Beast, Ash’s gaze jumps between Kristy and me. I notice how his attention stays on Kristy for a minute longer before his head jerks back to me. People often mistake us as sisters due to our exact matching eye color.
“Why have you called us here, Zander?” Oscar’s annoyed voice draws my attention to him. I can understand his lack of enthusiasm. He and Kristy would be celebrating the happy news if they weren’t summoned here by my fiancé.
Zander straightens behind me, bringing his hand forward and looking at his favorite Patek Philippe watch. “I’m still waiting for someone.”
Oh, yes. Beast’s family.
When the doorbell rings the next time, Zane answers before he returns with Sophia.
What is she doing here?
I glance toward Kristy in question, but her frown tells me this is a surprise for her too.
“Mom? What—”
“Sophia?” Beast unexpectedly interrupts Kristy and gets up in a rush. His hands shake as he grabs the back of the couch to steady himself. All the color from his radiant face evaporates as if he’s seen a ghost.
“Ash.” Her voice is just a whisper as her chin and lips tremble.
“God! It is you, Sophia.”
In one long stride, Beast reaches out to her, a myriad of emotions passing on his face—happy, sad, shocked. Then he does something surprising.
He pulls her into his arms.
And it’s not a gentle hug like he gave to me and the Teager boys.
It’s a suffocating, all-consuming hug. Like he’s been waiting to do this for all eternity. Like he thinks Sophia might disappear if he doesn’t hold on to her tight.
“Is this a dream, Soph?” Their interaction is so intimate that I feel like a voyeur watching it while sitting on my couch.
“Mom! W-what’s happening? How do you know Ashcroft Miller?”
Before Sophia can answer, Beast’s head jerks to Kristy. His bloodshot eyes widen. “ Mom? You are Chloe.”
“Um… No, I’m Kristy.” Her gaze moves around the room. “What’s going on here?”
Zander interrupts Kristy before she can get hysterical. “Let’s all calm down, and I’ll tell you why we’re here.”
Everybody sits, but Sophia’s soft words immediately jolt us all from our seats. “Ashcroft is my husband. We—”
“Husband?” Kristy shrieks in a shaky voice.
Sophia nods, avoiding eye contact with anyone. I notice that her hand is still in Beast’s tight clasp. “We were married, yes. And when you were born, we named you Chloe. But when I…left, I changed it.”
Kristy pulls away from Oscar’s arms and stands before Sophia. “H-how is this possible? There’s no mention of any Chloe on my birth certificate, and my father’s name column is blank.” Her tone is accusing as her gaze bores into her mother’s face.
My stomach roils at the events playing before me. As much as I’m hurt to see Kristy’s childhood secrets crashing before her, I dread something worse is yet to come.
“I asked someone to make new documents for us.” Sophia hesitates, not meeting Kristy’s eyes.
“You forged my birth certificate.”
All the color drains from Kristy’s face. My own body shivers, imagining what she might be going through at this moment.
“I had to. To keep you safe.” Sophia’s hand trembles as she tries to place it on Kristy’s shoulder. Remorse like I’ve never seen before dawns on her face.
“From whom? From him?” Kristy points toward Ashcroft, who is just as stunned as anyone else in the room.
“No, from o-other people…who did this to me.” Sophia opens her purse and places some photographs on the table. Her teary gaze meets mine before she straightens up.
I glance at the table. The photographs she slid my way look old and gray. From where I’m perched, I don’t have a clear view of them, and when I try to get up, Zander holds me in place. I look at him over my shoulder, but he just shakes his head. Confused, I follow his instruction and stay rooted close to him.
But Kristy is already sifting through the pictures, staring at them in horror.
“What the fuck, Mom? What the hell is this?”
Sophia’s shoulders slump, and she takes a small step toward her daughter. “When you were two years old, I was kidnapped. The person who took me marred my back with a hot double hook, burning my flesh.” After she finishes her sentence in one breath, her gaze lands on me. But I look away from her affectionate gaze and try to unclench my hardening stomach.
My own wounds itch and burn, making me nauseous. Sophia continues the story about her abduction, being back home, getting pregnant and her premature stillborn baby, and finally, leaving Ash.
At some point in between, Kristy flops onto the couch, her sobs filling the room. Tears race down Sophia’s cheeks too. But I am just stuck in one place. My heart pounds fast against my rib cage. I can already feel that there’s something more awful waiting to come out.
“Then I met you, Rose. You had my eyes, my looks. My heart called for you, and I couldn’t believe that of all the people, you bonded with us, me and Kristy. After about a year, I couldn’t rest and had to confirm if my suspicion was right.” Her hand crawls up to her chest and neck, and she rubs her skin as if trying to calm the internal tornado of emotions.
“What suspicion?” Kristy rubs her forehead before looking between Sophia and me with wide eyes.
“I called the hospital in St. Peppers, where I delivered my second baby girl.”
“Premature and stillborn?” I whisper, my numb fingers digging into the couch.
I know. I know.
“They had no record of a stillborn child on that date.”
“What are you saying, Soph?” Ashcroft asks, his brows furrowed as he demands answers to his lifelong questions.
“We never saw the baby, Ash. We…we were so heartbroken, we didn’t ask for our baby.” She hides her face in her palms, and I can feel her every sob and every tear, which are in sync with my own sluggishly beating heart. “I had a maternity DNA test done for me and Rose.” She looks at me with a contrite and hopeful expression.
But I close my eyes, shutting myself off from all this information. I don’t need a family now. I don’t want a family now. I’m making a new life with Zander. I want no reminders of my past, my lost identity, and my forgotten parents.
“No! Mom!”
I open my eyes again, hearing Kristy’s cry as she turns around and hides her face in Oscar’s arms.
“I did what I had to do to protect you both.”
“I begged you to adopt Rose, didn’t I? You said she was too much of a responsibility. Too much work. You could have made this right for all of us, Mom. If you didn’t want Ashcroft to have us, you still could have kept your daughters together. Why didn’t you?”
My heart aches. All my life, I thought I was unlovable, and I was so right. My mom knew who I was, yet she couldn’t love me.
“Chloe—Kristy, let your mother explain.” Ashcroft attempts to placate Kristy, but his hands, which rose to grab Kristy’s arms, drop immediately at her next words.
“Are you really going to forgive her? Forgive her for what Rose had to endure? For what you lost?” Her hands curl into fists at her side.
“I asked you to adopt me. I begged you to adopt me,” I whisper through my thickening throat.
How many times have I tried to forget that day? I promised her I’d be the best daughter. My small self, clutching her hands, just wanting someone to love me, to accept me.
“Rose, I did everything to keep you safe. I couldn’t let them get to you for a second time, my baby.” Sophia takes a step in my direction, but I cower into Zander’s chest, not wanting the affection she’s offering.
“Who are they?” Beast bellows. With clenched fists and curled shoulders, he fits his name today. “It’s about time you tell me who did this to us, Soph.”
“Roxanne,” Sophia whispers, and everything falls into place.
The brown eyes. The woman who looked at me in pity while I was lying hurt as she put salve on my burning back.