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The scent of fresh air hit my nostrils, and I panicked, hiding behind him and suddenly feeling afraid of the outside. I hadn’t formally stepped out in months, apart from the time I spent on the balcony or terrace, but now here I was, only a few excruciating steps away from my freedom.
“Are you making me l-leave?” I asked in a shaky voice, and Thorn chuckled, holding my waist.
“Of course not, silly girl,” he grunted in response. “I want to show you something. Come on. Hold my hand.”
Slowly, my fingers found their way into his hand, and we intertwined them. He led me through the beautiful sunroom towards the exit.
It was dark outside, the sky a deep indigo with dozes on glittering silver stars. Thorn didn’t say a word as he stepped outside, my arm stretching to him as I hesitated on the doorstep of the sunroom.
“Don’t be afraid,” he told me gently, looking back at me. “Come with me.”
Fearfully, I took the biggest leap of my life and stepped into the starry night with him. I gasped when I was finally outside, my feet in sneakers but still feeling the wet dewdrops that had already formed on the grass blades outside. I stared up at the glorious sky, at the stars, and I felt lost in a universe of Thorn’s creation. Then I quickened my pace and followed him down a pathway, leading away from the Mansion.
“Where are we going?” I asked again.
An irrational fear awoke inside me, convinced he was going to hurt me, discard of me, because I wasn’t good or important enough. I couldn’t let him do it, so I dug my heels into the ground, forcing him to come to a stop.
“What’s the matter?” he asked, staring into my eyes. “Come on. We’re not there yet.”
“Don’t hurt me,” I begged him without shame. “Let me stay with you.”
He pondered my words for a second then took a step closer, wrapping an arm possessively around my shoulders.
“How many times do I have to tell you?” he muttered darkly. “You’re fucking never getting away from me, and I’m not going to hurt you unless you want it. Now, come on, Rose, and stop stalling.”
I followed him willingly this time. He led me down the winding path towards the edge of the cliff the Mansion was built on. I’d admired the view before, but this time, he wasn’t leading me towards the beach that lay below us, but instead, to a large lit up garden behind the house.
“What is this place?” I whispered as we reached it.
“It’s the rose garden,” he finally answered, and after a moment’s thought, he let go of my hand.
For a moment, I felt lost. Then one thought unleashed itself in my mind, angry and loud and shouting one single word at me with more despair than ever.
RUN.
But I didn’t.
I looked at Thorn and swallowed my fear then pretended everything was all right as I drank the garden in with my eyes.
“It’s beautiful,” I managed to get out. “Stunning.”
“It is,” he agreed with a small nod. “Take a look around. I’ll be right behind you.”
The words could have sounded menacing but instead had a comforting quality to them. I walked around the gardens with my eyes as wide as saucers. Beautiful old-fashioned nightlamps lit the way, illuminating the gorgeous garden. It was lush and green with roses blooming everywhere.
“You don’t know much about me, yet,” Thorn said, his steps following mine. “But this is my business. The roses. It’s how I make money.”
“The flowers?” I asked incredulously, stopping next to one of the bushes.
It was pink and white, the colors dancing together on the beautiful, headily-scented blooms of the bush. Beautiful, unlike anything I’d seen before. I couldn’t even imagine the play of nature like the one on the petals of those roses.
“Yes,” Thorn nodded. “They’re called Forever Roses. My business… my official job. We cultivate roses that last years after they are bought. They’re a luxury product… not something you’d give anyone. They are a promise, and people like to use them as a symbol of one.”
“How can they last years?” I asked, leaning down to smell one of the glorious blooms. “Even after they’re cut?”
“I could tell you,” Thorn said with a wry smile. “But I might have to shut you up after.”
I giggled nervously as he came up to me, his arms wrapping around my waist. I froze on the spot, the small move of endearment catching me off guard.
“We use a special solution to keep them looking as fresh as the day they are cut,” Thorn muttered against my ear as my body molded to his. “We even keep the scent. They look as beautiful in five years’ time as they do today.”
“Captured beauty,” I whispered softly, turning around in his arms then staring up into his eyes. “You’ve held it hostage inside the rose.”
