Beautiful Rose (Elixir Billionaires #1)

55. Rose

55

ROSE

“Hello, sis.” Kristy strolls into my office.

It’s been more than a month since our lives were turned upside down by Sophia’s revelations. We’re all slowly finding our way and making peace with it. At least as much as we can.

The best thing that came out of all this mess was that Kristy is my sister. The heartfelt connection I’ve always felt with her now goes beyond a matching eye color. It’s made of blood and flesh.

She perches on a chair, playing with the red tassels of her blouse. At three months pregnant, Kristy isn’t showing much. But she has already given up on her huge collection of fitted formal dresses. At present, she has a strong infatuation for custom-made bohemian tops and peasant shirts designed by Clementine.

With time, I’ve accepted her pregnancy, maybe with a tad too much enthusiasm. Whenever Zander and I are in the mall, by some miracle, we end up in the kids’ section. I don’t know what’ll happen when we have our own kids.

But we have time for that.

Last week, I bought her a journal where she can mark all her special moments with the baby, as well as things she’ll want to share with him or her.

Yeah, that’s another thing. We don’t know if it’s a boy or a girl.

Kristy and Oscar have decided to keep the sex of the baby a surprise, which is quite stupid in my opinion. Why would you want to intentionally not know something?

The crazier thing is, everyone is taking a bet on the baby’s gender.

That’s something I don’t understand at all…

Kristy slouches back in her seat. “What are you thinking about?”

“The stupid bet.”

She giggles at my agitation.

It’s really driving me crazy.

I turn on the hot water kettle that now sits on the windowsill. Since Kristy’s pregnancy, our ritual of going to Steamy Beans for coffee has been put to a halt. Instead, she joins me in my office every morning for a cup of hot tea.

“So, you’re fine with tonight?”

I shrug. My feelings are all over the place about this evening. Zander asked me yesterday if I would like to accompany him to Beast’s house for dinner. I didn’t realize what he meant exactly, until he told me Ash wants to celebrate Sophia’s return in his life, Kristy’s pregnancy, and all of us finding each other.

To say I’m conflicted would be an understatement.

Only after Zander assured me that he’ll bring me home the minute I don’t feel good did I agree. He repeated the exact words to Ash while I was sitting in his arms by the fireplace.

“But you are coming, right?” Kristy’s question breaks my reverie.

I nod.

“Is this some kind of practice mute protest to avoid talking tonight?” She smiles with mischief shining on her face.

I know she’s trying to lighten the mood, urging me to talk to her.

“No. No mute protest.” I show her a box of mango-peach tea and she nods. “I’ll be there. But if I don’t feel good, Zander and I will most likely leave.”

She nods and continues to watch me carefully as I squeeze honey into our mugs before dipping the tea bags in hot water.

Tonight is going to be an emotional evening for her too, maybe even more than me. She spent some of her early childhood in that house with Sophia and Ash.

“How do you feel? Do you remember anything yet?” I ask, passing her the mug.

“Not much. I’ve been trying to remember for some time now. I think of a purple room and…some elephant posters on a wall. I don’t know.” Her eyebrows furrow, and I can see how much this is affecting her. “It could just have been a dream or some TV show,” she says with a grim expression I don’t like at all.

Over the weeks, I’ve transformed into some sort of pregnancy podcast junkie, making notes on what to do and what not to do when someone you know is pregnant. Making her unhappy is a topper on the list of not-to-do things.

“I got you something.” I open the top drawer of my desk and pull out a plastic box.

She immediately recognizes it, and her eyes twinkle as the corners of her mouth quirk up in a huge smile.

Another effect of pregnancy? Mood swings.

“Zander baked for us?” she asks, already opening the lid of the box.

Zander didn’t just bake, but he baked her favorite.

“Lemon bars!” Kristy squeals. “Rosie, you hit the jackpot with that man. ”

I sure did.

“Remember, if you feel uncomfortable, just say the word and we’ll leave. No one is gonna think anything,” Zander tells me for the umpteenth time this evening.

We walk hand in hand to the porch, and Zander rings the bell. My heart pounds against my chest as I stand in front of the door for the second time. But today it looks different.

“Did something change?”

“Yes. Beast renovated the house. The exterior was gray before.”

Now it’s painted ivory; that’s why it feels warm.

Ash opens the door. He hugs and pats Zander on the back before engulfing me in one of his bear hugs.

I’m at once startled, and my body stiffens involuntarily. He quickly realizes his mistake, but before he can draw back, I return his hug.

When we pull apart, he has a wide smile on his face.

“Come in.” He ushers us from the living room to the backyard.

Wow!

My heart skips a beat, and my steps halt at the sight of everyone seated under the huge magnolia tree, lanterns hanging from its branches. There’s a fire pit roaring on the side. If not for the tense and hesitant faces, this scene would look as if it were plucked out of a family magazine.

After Zander and I have taken the two empty seats around the circular table, Kristy, who’s sitting beside me, gives my hand a light squeeze.

An awkward silence stretches for several moments, until Ash clears his throat. “We made some changes to the house. You girls can look around, um—only if you like.”

When Kristy nods and I mimic her response, Ash’s face lights up, and he gives us that wide, happy smile again. “Soph and I really hope you girls like it.” His gaze shifts from us to Sophia, who’s sitting next to him.

Tonight, she’s wearing a red dress. I don’t remember ever seeing her in any other color than white, gray, or black. But next to Beast, in this gorgeous house and beautiful backyard, with burning candles and daisies on the table along with polished cutlery, she fits in well.

She belongs here.

Upon seeing her happily getting back on with her life, an ache develops in some corner of my heart.

Will it ever get better?

Kristy nods again to Beast’s question, and some of the sparkle disappears from his eyes when I don’t mirror everyone’s enthusiasm. But I don’t know how to suddenly play house with people who always kept me at arm’s length.

“I told you, Zane, Beast most likely ripped our rooms apart and turned them into some pink or purple shit,” Zach jabbers, breaking some of the tension.

“I sure wanted to, bugger. You never kept your room clean anyway. I’d love to fix up that monstrosity you left behind. Heck! There are still posters of half-naked girls on the walls. I don’t even want to step inside that shithole.” Ash squeezes his eyes closed as if he can still see all those posters.

Their playful banter reduces the stress. My clenched chest relaxes a little.

“But Sophia didn’t let me touch your haven.” Ash shakes his head in mock defeat.

“That’s good. I’d like to spend some nights here, you know.” Zach pays no regard to Ash’s words.

“Have I not tolerated you enough? Is that lavish hotel of yours lacking rooms for you to stay in?”

“No, and no. But what I don’t have there is you. How can I annoy you if we aren’t together?”

“You piece of shit. ”

I jump in my seat as, out of the blue, Ash throws his cloth napkin at Zach’s face.

Their encounter earns a laugh from Charlie, and this time, I can’t hide my smile.

For the first time in the evening, we all look like that perfect family portrait, and I like it.

“Girls, will you join me?” Ash asks Kristy and me as we sip our coffee after a hearty dinner. The guys have already moved to the patio pool table. But I don’t miss Zander intermittently looking our way.

I give Kristy a subtle nod when she glances in my direction for confirmation. Ash leads us into the house while Sophia stays back, playing with Charlie. I don’t know if she’s nervous or just wants to give us some alone time with…our father.

Kristy has made it very clear to Sophia that she isn’t going to forgive her anytime soon. I, on the other hand, have done nothing but avoid her since that morning.

Ash leads us to the left wing on the first floor. “The right wing is where the boys’ rooms are.”

I remember when Zane gave me a small tour of that part of the house. But everything looks different today.

“This left wing used to be for guest rooms, but this last month, your mom and I renovated it. Take a look.” He opens a door, and I hesitantly step in after Kristy.

The room is painted purple. One of the walls is lined with cute pictures of a baby girl elephant. There’s a throw pillow with a similar picture and Kristy written on it.

Kristy gasps next to me. “Oh my God.”

“I don’t know if you remember, but the ground floor is where we had the main bedroom and your room.” Ash’s gaze moves from Kristy to the purple-painted walls as he grabs the back of his neck.

It feels weird that a man as big as him is walking on eggshells around us.

“I wanted to set up rooms for both of you in case you ever wanted to come home. I mean…here. I was going for a more sophisticated, grown-up setup, but your mom suggested you girls would like a piece of your missed childhood.”

A painful expression dawns on his face, and I realize it’s not only us who lost that part of our lives, but he also missed out.

With a sad smile, he continues. “So, I asked the designers to get all the decorations from the ground floor to recreate your rooms. But other than that, the furniture is new and sturdy.” He grips the frame of the queen-sized bed. I notice that even though the décor is childish, the furniture is all adult, including a vanity and a larger dresser.

Kristy picks up the pillow with her name written on it and looks at Ash questioningly.

“You don’t remember?” He perches beside her on the bed and takes the pillow from her hand. “We went to the zoo, and there was a newborn baby elephant named Kristy. You were so enamored by her that you wanted to bring her home.”

Kristy giggles, and my lips curl up in a smile. If anyone could take home an elephant from the zoo, it would definitely be my sister.

“You even made me talk to the mahout, and he was able to convince you that she was still a baby and couldn’t live without her mother. But when we were back in the car, you started wailing and thrashing. The next day, I got you this pillow and the posters, and we decorated your room. You wouldn’t go to sleep without it.” He clears his throat. “Sophia told me that she…named you Kristy so you still had some part of your early childhood.”

Hearing Sophia’s name, Kristy’s face turns murderous .

“I know you’re angry with your mother. I’m not happy either. I had two beautiful, amazing girls, and I missed…everything in their lives. But I also understand why she did what she did. I don’t like it, but I get it. What could she do when she wasn’t safe? When you weren’t even safe in your own house?” He releases a harsh breath of anger, but I don’t think it’s directed at Sophia. “But today I want to tell you, if you ever need a place of your own for a while or just a change in scenery, this is your room. You, Oscar, Charlie, and my soon-to-be grandchild are welcome anytime. This is your home, Kristy.”

My heart clenches as the onslaught of emotions hits me hard. Tears roll from Kristy’s eyes, and she hugs her father—our father—whispering something in his ear.

A pang of jealously hits me in my chest.

There’s nothing for me here. No elephant stories, no purple walls. My hand slips into my pocket, where my cell phone is resting. I know one text to Zander and I’ll be back in the hotel room in no time.

“Rose, my sweet girl, would you like to see your room?” Ash asks before I can take my phone out.

Kristy’s eyes shine with tears as her head rests on Ash’s chest. They look so similar. Kristy not only inherited Ash’s sharp features but also his confidence. They already share a bond, a memory, whereas I’m as alien as before. As much as that thought hurts me, in some hidden corner of my heart, I don’t want to be an alien. I also want to share something with him. So, I nod.

“But first, I want to show you something else.” He leads us to a small pantry-sized room and flips on the switch.

It’s a small nursery.

“This is everything your mother and I got when we were expecting you, my baby girl.”

There’s a small crib in blush pink, and a blanket in the same color .

“Your mother was obsessed with pink things during her pregnancy with you.”

“I’m still obsessed with pink,” I whisper, and his wide gaze shoots at me. If he’s surprised I even responded, that makes two of us.

I’m not sure how to feel. I hate seeing my unused crib in a storage room. I love that my parents got me a pink crib and blanket.

“Then maybe you’ll like your room.” He leads us away from the small space, but I want to stay for a little longer. Or maybe much longer. My unlived childhood resides in this small storage space.

I reluctantly follow Kristy and Ash to the next room.

Three walls are painted sweet pink, while the fourth is covered with wallpaper of pink and white roses. My gaze lands on a picture frame resting on the nightstand. On a blue craft paper are three handprints, and on top of them, in a child’s broken writing, are words that shake my core.

MY DEAR SIS,

COME SOON. WE ARE WAITING.

Kristy sobs as my own tears threaten to fall.

They were waiting for me.

Kristy hugs me, and soon, Ash joins us, hiding us in his huge arms. An unexpected sense of safety falls over me when he kisses my hair and whispers, “My girls, you are safe.”

After several moments of golden silence, we all pull back.

“There’s one more thing I want you to have.” Ash opens the drawer of a computer desk, and that’s when I notice the latest high-power programming laptop.

“You got me a computer?”

“I want my daughters to have everything.”

Before I can soak in his affection, he places a journal in my hands .

“Take this. Your—” He stops and clears his throat. “Sophia wants you to have it. This was her journal during her pregnancy with you. In it, she talked to you.”

He grabs my hands, causing me to grip the journal so tight that the leather spine bites my fingers. But I want nothing more than his intense love.

“I know you didn’t have a proper childhood, but it wasn’t because we loved you any less, sweetheart. We were robbed of the sweet memories of your every milestone. Your first roll, your first word, your first step… Everything was stolen from us. But that doesn’t change the fact that we didn’t save you, my Rose girl. I’ll never forgive myself for it.” He holds my face between his hands, looking at me, searching for his lost baby girl.

“All okay?” Zander asks, standing by the door, hands in his pockets and his eyes focused on me.

“Yes, yes. All’s well.” Ash turns away and quickly wipes his eyes, not letting Zander see his emotion.

“Zach and Zane are leaving. Charlie is about to fall asleep.” He informs us that it’s time to go.

Ash nods. “Come back anytime, girls. This is your home. Call me whenever you need anything or…if you just want to talk.”

I squeeze his hand. “Give me time,” I whisper, only for his ears.

I want to embrace this fatherly affection he’s offering so badly, and I hate the prickle of doubt that doesn’t allow me to do so.

“Take all the time you need. You deserve all of it.”

I kiss him on the cheek, possibly surprising everyone, including myself, before I join Zander.

Sophia is nowhere to be found by the time we’re ready to leave. Maybe she’s just as overwhelmed as everyone else. This family gathering has been a long time coming for her too.