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She silently contemplated my words, not saying a thing, and I knew she was thinking things through. Finally, she gave me the smallest hint of a smile and a nod.
“You’re right,” she admitted. “It’s time to move forward. I think I should leave.”
I nodded. I had seen it coming.
I’d often wondered whether keeping her in the Mansion meant she was hung up on the past. I’d broached the subject of sending her somewhere else or offered to help her start a new life without… all this. But on the rare occasions when I wasn’t getting under her skin, I could almost believe she was happy. She smiled wide and seemed to enjoy her duties at the Mansion. It seemed like a good distraction – yet as long as she was by my side, I knew no progress would be made. Not just on Pia’s side, but between Harlow and me as well.
“We’ll discuss it,” I told her calmly. “Anything you want, you know I’m willing to help.”
“I know,” she said softly.
I didn’t know what else to say. I didn’t want to give her a hug – I saved those for my Rose. Instead I patted her on the back and we both laughed softly at the awkwardness of our exchange.
“I think it took me a long time to realize,” she admitted. “That I wasn’t the one.”
I wanted to apologize, but she looked up at me, her eyes sparkling with mischief.
“I didn’t want to be,” she admitted. “I deserve better.”
I laughed out loud and shook my head.
“Bad girl,” I told her, and she smiled sweetly but sadly.
“She’s the one, isn’t she?” she finally asked.
I knew whom she was talking about, of course. And this time, I had no doubts about my answer.
“Yes,” I admitted. “She’s the one.”
Pia nodded and gave me one last smile before sighing, then straightening her back and shoulders.
“Right,” she said. “Let’s get back to work.”
As we were leaving the room, I heard the sound of a fire alarm blaring through the house.
We exchanged worried looks, our conversation momentarily forgotten with the looming crisis.
“Find her,” Pia said simply. “I’ll take care of the rest.”
I gave her a curt nod and sprinted in the direction of the smoke.
It took me a moment to realize it wasn’t coming from inside the house. It was something else…
I checked Rose’s room first. Empty. Studio. Empty. My frantic sister ran out with a pale, panicked face.
“Where’s Harlow?” she asked, and my heart panged.
I wanted to scold her for not calling her Rose, but I didn’t have it in me. A sudden, bone-chilling fear that my girl wasn’t safe took over.
“I’ll find her,” I barked, and ran through the house filled with confused maids, girls and guards and out onto the veranda.
My garden. My fucking rose garden was in flames.
In that moment, I didn’t give a shit about the memories, the beautiful memories going up in flames. All that mattered was Harlow, and when I heard a loud, piercing scream coming from inside the garden, I knew all too well she was in trouble.
I tore through the guards trying to stop me from entering the hellish garden. The nearby trees were catching on fire too, and the smoke rose high. Someone was calling the firefighters and an ambulance, but I couldn’t fucking wait for them.
I stepped into the flames and called her name.
Rose.
Harlow.
And then a desperate growl when she didn’t respond.
Fear of losing her made me lose my mind. I felt like a wild fucking animal, and I tore through the falling branches, the smoke and the fire, instinct telling me my girl was caught in the middle of it all.
I couldn’t find her. Could barely see through all the smoke burning my eyes and my lungs. But I knew I had to. There was no other option. No world where Thorn existed without his Rose.
I would turn the whole world on its head looking for her. I would kill and maim and hurt and punish anyone who’d gotten her in trouble.
And as my eyes zeroed in on an unmoving figure amidst the burning embers, my heart lurched, and my mind hoped desperately that she was okay.
If not, I would fucking kill any person responsible for this fire.
I tore through the garden, branches dropping everywhere and making me dizzy from the smoke coming off them. But stopping wasn’t an option. Giving up was not a thought that had crossed my mind. I needed to save her. I needed to get her the fuck out.
So many things left unsaid.
I’d never be able to live with myself if she didn’t know…
I shouted it all into the wind.
I love you.
I need you.
Don’t leave me.
And I made my way through the burning maze until my hands wrapped around my weak little Rose.
Her chest was still rising and falling, but she was disoriented. I thanked my lucky Gods and swore to be a better man as long as we both got the hell out of that goddamn hellhole.
