35. Not The Same Rosé

**Rosé**

*Denis behaved himself during the entire ride to school. I already informed him of when I'd be collecting my clothes and other items. He had this small smile on his face, gaze never leaving the road.*

*"Maybe you should start coming over more often," he said.*

*"Sure. And maybe when I do, I can ask your dad and Malcom to pick me up from school, since they like doing that," I replied.*

*Denis scoffed, then his scowl turned into a chuckle. I quickly learnt that Denis could handle my sarcasm, so I didn't have to pretend to be a harmless, sweet girl unlike when I'm with Thomas.*

*I turned my head, catching a glimpse of his side profile. I had to say, peaceful and calm looked good on him. His hair was tossed around by the wind. Shadows passed over his features every time we drove by a tree.*

*It was like he had a happy song playing on repeat in his head and nothing from the outside world could touch him.*

*"Mr. Denis."*

*"Yes, Miss Rosé?"*

*"What are you planning to do about the mate bond?"*

*He slowed down his Mitsubishi at a stop sign and looked at me. "Can you feel the bond? Something pulling you to me and making you want to hang out with me more?"*

*Before I could answer, he started talking again. "You've been acting unusual ever since you came to watch me practice. So I thought maybe you were being affected by the bond."*

*I obeyed my mouth to deny it, but a thought stopped me. If he thinks the mate bond was the reason for my change in behavior, then I should lean into it. It's a great excuse, an excuse I didn't have to create myself."*

*"I don't know," I said, turning my head away.*

*"Then don't worry about it." He started driving again. "Let that be my problem to worry about. Just go on with your day like you always have."*

*Then he switched on the radio and started mouthing the lyrics word for word. I watched in amusement. "I didn't know you knew Bones by Imagine Dragons!"*

*He shrugged, a broader smile spread to his cheeks. "Not only do I know it, but it's my favorite song by them."*

*My phone buzzed in my bag. Callum and I had been chatting all morning, and so far he seemed like an okay guy.*

*Before classes began, I met him.*

*"Hi there." He walked up to my desk and smiled. He wore a blue plead unbuttoned shirt with a blue T-shirt underneath. I stuck to my original plan and waited for signs that he genuinely wanted my help before acting too friendly. A part of me wanted to believe that Robin would never give my number to someone who would cause me problems, but then again, she was hanging with Margo now.*

*"No wonder you're having trouble with that part." I flipped through the pages of my textbook until I found what I was looking for and showed it to him. I made an attempt to explain the chemical process as best as I could. To my surprise, he took my advice well and incorporated it into his notes without a single taunt or insult. We didn't have enough time because the bell rang, so we agreed to partner up in biology.*

*Sure enough, he left a stool open for me at a table at the back of the lab. I headed down there accompanied by inquisitive gazes. By the time our teacher walked in, I became a little comfortable enough to have a conversation without measuring each word that came out of my mouth.*

*It was after the teacher left us to our own devices that things went downhill.*

My eyes fluttered open. Vision blurred, I was unable to make out the silhouettes approaching me. I drew in a deep, haggard breath. I could still inhale oxygen. That meant I managed to secure my life.

A drop like that could have killed me. If I didn't activate my powers before hitting the concrete, my neck would have been broken. Or my head would have cracked open. Or both. Three-storey buildings are no joke, especially if it's a fall you didn't prepare for.

I slid my fingers across the rough ground as someone kneeled down behind me. Yes, most of my nerves were still responding. However, I didn't come out unscathed. My head ached in a way I never thought possible. The blurry images and noises soon faded into darkness. Unfortunately for me, I was still coherent enough to understand what just occurred.

Despite all his promises and little reassurances, Denis failed to pull through in the end. I gave him a chance, yet he hesitated and chose to be a hypocrite. To think I was starting to feel a little sorry for him just because he showed me a bit of vulnerability last night.

I thought I was finally taking control of my life but maybe I was being too nice.

Fuck that. No more hesitation, no more nice Rosé. She's dead because they continued to stab her.

And I'm her replacement, here to take her murderers to justice.

_________

The beeping was the first thing I became aware of once I regained consciousness. The bed I laid was softer than cement, that's for sure. Grey walls made up the interior of the room. At least, I thought so. I didn't have enough energy to move my head to find out. I felt cool air grazing my left cheek, so there must have been a window.

After a few deep breaths, I could see past a blurry screen. Two long light bulbs stared at me from above, threatening to blind me. When I took in another breath, I started coughing. That noise caught the attention of someone who was standing in the corner. They rushed over, tossing their phone on the chair beside the bed.

"Rosé! My baby girl, can you hear me?"

I knew that voice. "Mo...m?" It sounded strange coming out of my mouth, like bubbles popping on boiling water.

Her image became as clear as day. Dark blue eyes now red with tears. Curly dirty blonde hair held up in a messy ponytail. The woman who loved me more than anyone else.

Her trembling hands caressed my cheeks. "Baby, are you alright? Do you hurt anywhere?"

I wanted to hug her but it hurt to move my arms. "No, I'm not feeling any pain. Are you okay? You look like you were crying."

For some reason, she started whimpering. Mom shook her head, a tear running down her jaw. "I don't know what you mean. Crying? What is that, a TV series?"

I chuckled, instantly feeling better. "How are you off work so early? Is Dad here?"

Mom removed her phone from the seat and took its place. "Baby, my manager let me off early today due to an emergency. Besides, it's 7:45 PM. I would have arrived home at this time regardless."

"Mom."

"Yes, Baby?"

"Where is Dad?"

For the first time tonight, she averted my gaze.

After a few minutes of stalling, she sighed. "He's admitted into rehab again." She looked at me before continuing. "After I drove to the hospital and made sure you weren't in any danger, I headed home. I thought that you would need some of your things to feel comfortable when you woke up.

"Your dad... he trashed the house looking for his hidden packets of drugs. I called the police then had him admitted. He's not here, Rosé. I'm sorry."

Oh. That made sense. I bit my lip to hold back my disappointment. If I did she would only start blaming herself for something she had no control over. "I'm happy. Hopefully, this time he listens and accepts that we're trying to help him."

Despite the pain, I placed my right hand on her clenched knuckles. She smiled, covering it with hers.

"Since you're in no position to go on that camping trip tomorrow," Mom said. "How about we spend some quality time together? Just mother and daughter. All wrapped up in our most comfy clothes. Sipping on smoothies. Watching some cringy romance movies?"

"Sounds good." But as much as I would want to spend more time with her, there were some things I needed to take care of. "I love that. The thing is, Mom, I still want to go on the Halloween Camping trip."

Mom's face looked like I told her I slept with a horse.

"Um, no you're not! You just had an accident!"

"I don't feel any pain! Call the doctor, I'm sure they'll see I'm fine." I forced myself to sit up despite the oxygen mask and how much discomfort I felt. "Please, I really want to go."

She frowned. "I'll get the doctor to come as quickly as possible. If he says you're unwell, you're not going anywhere."