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“I’m fine,” Rosie slurs, her eyes screwing shut and flashing open as though she’s desperately trying to focus.
It’s a look I’m all too familiar with. It wrings my insides over and over again. I’m pissed that she let herself get this way and I’m sick to my stomach at the thought that I caused this.
“You’re not fine,” I blow out a breath, pressing my lips to her forehead. “You need rest and you”—I glance at Natalya, perched on the back of the couch—“you need to leave.”
“Put me down,” Rosie whines, wriggling in my hold as I take her into the bedroom. “I’m okay.”
“You are not okay.” The remark is short and gritted as I try to hold on to what’s left of my control and my cool.
I’ve never wanted to shake someone as much as I want to shake her right now. To make her see how stupid and reckless she’s been, and how fucking angry I am that she’s put me in this position again. After everything I told her.
“Put me down,” she snaps at me, throwing herself onto her unsteady feet.
Her woven crossbody satchel drops to the floor, and before she can hurt herself trying to grab it, I catch her again. I grab her arm and hold her straight while I crouch to pick up her purse.
“I can do it myself.”
“Yeah, sure,” I scoff, “you can’t even fucking stand!”
“Because you’re hurting my fucking head,” the sudden crack of her voice muddles and distorts her yell.
When I throw it on the bed and some of her shit tips out, Rosie glowers at me. It’s nothing special. A small bottle of water, some painkillers, and her sunglasses.
“Did you take those?”
Rosie follows my stare to the Advil on the bed. Nodding, she groans, “My head hurts.”
No wonder she’s this fucked. I’d expect her to know better than to drink and take painkillers together.
Peeling the comforter back, I ease her onto the bed. Her lilac dress swallows her as she falls back and curls onto her side. The glow of her skin is all wrong as I take her in, making sure she’s all right enough to be left alone to sleep.
Fuck, this can’t be my life right now.
But the more I stand here watching her, the more I question every move and choice I’ve made. I promised myself I’d never be here again.
When her breathing evens out, I gather her purse and sunglasses and leave the water and Advil on the bedside table for when she wakes up. This isn’t the girl I know. Rosie’s not a big drinker and she’s responsible. She would never mix alcohol and meds. None of it makes sense. But then, Mom was a great person too, and still, she drunk herself into an early grave.
Closing the door behind me, I’m about to call Maggie back when Natalya clears her throat.
“I told you to leave,” I spit at her, aiming straight to the suite door and holding it open for her to do as I’ve asked one too many times. “Get out.”
Natalya meanders over, taking each step slow while she watches me intently. Her hands are on her hips when she pauses in front of me.
“I hope you still don’t fuck drunk girls.” A smug grin pulls at one side of her mouth, making my hands fist tight. I swear to God she’s lucky she’s a woman.
When she comes closer, I grasp her arm and edge her out of the suite in a few steps. “Get out and stay the fuck away from her.”
“Since when did you care so much about anyone but yourself?” The question hits me all wrong, pushing me that bit further so that my anger blisters my insides. “Cute little farm girls don’t belong here.” Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath, forcing myself to release her. But before I open them again, she’s slamming her lips on mine. Hands clutching at the collar of my t-shirt as I pry her away. “You don’t want a quaint little thing like that.”
She’s a leech that refuses to let go even when I push her away. Her back hits the wall, causing her to sputter the air from her lungs as my hands pin her in place. It doesn’t matter if it’s too hard or if it hurts, I tighten my grip on either side of her neck. Watching as she gasps for air and her hands grapple at my shirt, twisting and tugging at the cotton.
“Rosie’s twice the woman you’ll ever be.”
“She’s nothing but a child. A little girl who can’t deal with this life.”
I grasp her jaw tightly in one hand while slapping the wall with the other. Hoping that the impact is enough to stop me from taking out all my fucking rage on her because she is a poor excuse of a female. “Go near her again and—”
“What are you gonna do, Hotshot?” The sound of Rosie’s endearment from her lips blindsides me.
