📕 ROSES FOR RACHEL 🌸
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Episode_36📗
💘 🌼
We stayed in that libr@ry, holding onto each other for a long time, and by the time we broke ap@rt, all clues that there was ever even the slightest of a disturbance in this room were swept away. “I don’t want to go.” I whispered weakly, looking up at Pedro’s strained face.
He tapped my nose, then gr@bb£d my hand, leading me out into the hall. “You know I don’t want you to go, but I’d never forgive myself if something happened and I could have prevented it by getting you away sooner.”
“I un-derstand.” I whispered, my eyes on my feet as we walked.
“How are you?” Pedro asked carefully as the elevator doors slid closed in front of us.
I sighed, instinctively bringing my hand to my once injured shoulder. “I’m ok.” I nodded, dropping my hand back down. “I guess it was just easy to forget what you all are.” I said bluntly, then turned to give Pedro an apologetic look, hoping my words hadn’t offended him.
Pedro nodded his head. “I know what you mean.” He smiled lightly. “So many myths paint us as blood hungry monsters, when really, that is only such a small p@rt of us. For the most p@rt, blending with humans is pretty easy, because aside from our diets and heightened abilities, we really aren’t all that different. It’s only when you come face to face with the ugly side of our nature that you are f0rç£d to see the thing that keeps our kinds separate.”
I thought about what he was saying, and a p@rt of me felt like he was trying to tell me something, but I wasn’t sure what exactly. I ignored the feeling, trying not to hear whatever it was. “Pedro?” I said and he looked down at me. “How does it work?” I asked. “Being changed, I mean.” Then I bit my l!pas he walked me to my room and we sat at the foot of the be-d.
He la-id back on the be-d, looking up at the ceiling. “When we want to change someone, we bite them, but we have to re-lease our venom.”
I looked at him frantically, my heart rate picking up. “Well, what if he used his venom on me, Pedro! What if I turn?” I skrie-ked gr-abbing my shoulder.
Pedro sat up quic-kly, steadying me with his hands on my shoulders. “Rachel, he didn’t.” He as-sured me. “When we bite and re-lease our venom, it is a pretty immediate reaction.” He explained. “The venom hits the blood and it quic-kly spre-ads throu-ghout the bodies systems, temporarily putting the victim in a coma like state for anywhere to an hour to a whole day. When they wake up, the change is complete.” He said then rolled his eyes at me. “Are you in a coma right now, Rachel?” He asked and I sl@pped his shoulder.
“No.” I mumbled back.
“Then he didn’t use his venom, and you are going to be ok.” He smiled, then reached out to hold my hand. “Can I ask you something now?” He asked quietly and I got slightly nervous from his serious tone, but I nodded my head anyway. “Why are you so afraid that you might have turned?” He asked, not meeting my eyes. “Is it because you want Calvin to be the one to do it…or because you don’t want it to happen to you at all?”
I dropped my eyes from his face too, ashamed that he had been able to pick up on how badly I don’t want to be like him. “Well,
I…”
“That’s what I thought.” He answered for me. “Rachel, why did you agree to marry Calvin, knowing that you don’t want to be turned?”
I sh0t a defensive look at him. “Because I love him.” I said.
Pedro sighed. “I know that, but what exactly do you think will happen?” He asked.
I stood up from the be-d, angry with him for bringing this up. I’d done such a good job for so long now, not thinking of this exact thing. It was the only thing that was standing between me and the way I feel about Calvin, so I had chos£n to ignore it, push the feelings and thoughts down and just enjoy my human time I have left. “I didn’t think about it.” I snapped at him. “I chose to be stupid, and pretend that that was never going to come up.” I said stomping over to the bathroom and noisily started shoving some of my things in my bags that Maria had la-id out for me.
“Like you said though, apparently I don’t have to worry about it anymore since you’re convinced that my husband is dead, and I’m being kicked out of the castle.” I said sarcastically
I st©pped when I felt Pedro’s cool hand on my back. “I didn’t mean to anger you.” He smiled. “We don’t have to talk anymore, and I have lots to do before tomorrow night. We’ll nee-d to leave as soon as the sun sets, so make sure you get your rest.” He looked sadly down at me and I looked away, not re-ady to feel guilty for snapping on him just yet. “Do you want me to inform Greer and Tessa, or would you like to?”
I shook my head, looking down at the nearly cleared off counter in front of me. “You do it.” I told him. “I just want to be alone.” I sighed.
Pedro left me to myself and I went back to packing away my things, even the things I didn’t care to keep, just anything to keep my hands busy while I waited for it to be late enough for it to be acceptable for me to just crawl back into be-d. After only an hour pas-sed I decided I didn’t really care what time it was at this point. All I want to do on my last night here is just wra-p myself in what was left of Calvin’s scent on our be-dsheets.
I was seconds from climbing into be-d when there was a soft knock on my door. “Come in.” I said weakly and Cromley stuck his head in.
“Miss Lexton is here to see you, your highness.” He announced, looking to me for approval and I sighed but nodded.
She walked in tentatively, her pale blue dress hanging gracefully from her small frame. “Hi.” She murmured, walking over to me at the foot of the be-d.
“Hey.” I replied, looking at her questioningly.
She was holding a br@celet in her hand, fidgeting with it nervously. “I just wanted to come and apologize for my behavior before.” She smiled. “I really hope I didn’t offend you.”
“That’s alright, Lexton.” I told her. “No worries.”
She looked over my shoulder and pointed. “That’s a beautiful painting.” She commented and I turned away from her to admire the large painting of a rose garden that Calvin had had moved in here from his mom’s old room. I grinned at it, then turned back to Lexton just in time to see her straighten back up to standing, her face flushing bright red. “Oh, I dropped my br@celet.” She said innocently, but the way she was holding one of her hands behind her back now was really suspicious.
“What are you hiding?” I demanded and she backed away. “Lexton, what do you have?” I asked her again.
She turned quic-kly, trying to beat me to the door, but as she turned I saw the envelope in her right hand and I jumped to gr-ab it, snatching it from her grasp. She wh!pped around, her dark hair falling into her face. “It’s not what you think!” She insisted, but as I looked down at the envelope in my hands, and the guilty look on her face, I had a feeling it was exactly what I thought.
I fli-pped the envelope over in my hands, feeling like I’d been punched in the gut when I saw Calvin’s beautiful script across the front, but it was her name and not mine that he’d written. Angry tears stung at my eyes. “Why do you have a letter from my husband?” I asked still staring at it in disbelief. Then I laughed to myself. “This is why you c@m£ back in here wasn’t it?” I asked, alre-ady knowing I’m right. “You weren’t sorry, you just didn’t want me to find your little secret.” It was obvious that the letter must have fallen out of her bag when she spilled it at the foot of my be-d the other day in such a hurry to get away from me. “Get out.” I said evenly, but f0rç£ful.
“Rachel, plea-se, let me explain.” She begged but I walked away from her and over to my be-d, yanking the letter free and opening it.
“Cromley!” I called. “Get her out of here!” I screamed, holding the open letter in my hands without looking at it. The very thought of Calvin sitting down wherever he was and taking out a piece of paper to write her name on it instead of mine, was enough to make my blood burn white h0t and my heart to feel like it was frozen over. I took a couple of de-ep breaths and then finally lowered my eyes to the letter.
♥♥♥♥
✏ 📰 Lexton, 💌
I’m so sorry I’m writing you this letter instead of talking to you in person, but everything just happened so fast. I de-eply apologize for hurting you. It was never my intention, I didn’t plan to fall so ha-rd . I’m sorry if you feel like I led you on, and maybe I did, but you can’t continue to write me. It’s not right. I want you to know that I do think so highly of you. You are a sweet, smart, and beautiful girl, and one day you’ll make a man incredibly happy, but I’m not him. The first night when we met, and our d@t£s together were very special to me, and I hold a place in my heart for you always, but I love Rachel entirely. I never thought that she would actually chose to be with me, I honestly thought she would leave on her own, and so that is why I allowed us to get so close, even though it wasn’t fair to you. I hope that one day we can be friends, but I can’t offer you any more than that. Again, I’m so sorry for ma-king you believe we might have a future together. I hope you can come to forgive me. You’re a very special girl.
💌Calvin 💘
I la-id the letter out on the be-d beside me, my anger beginning to subside. I never should have jumped to conclusions in the first place. Of course Calvin was only letting her down easy. Whatever had happened between the two of them was before he and I had finalized anything, and I might be annoyed, but I don’t have a right to be angry over it. After all, he chose me, I reminded myself as I looked down at my glittering rings.
There was a knock on my door and I glanced up to see Tessa and Greer walking in slowly. “Pedro just told us we’re leaving tomorrow.” Greer whispered as she c@m£ to sit beside me.
Tessa leaned against the post at the foot of the be-d and smiled.
“Hey, you know I didn’t mean anything by what I said earlier.” She told me. “I just wasn’t thinking.” She shrugged her shoulders. “Besides, just because we have to leave, that doesn’t mean Calvin isn’t coming back. Maybe he just got help up, and he knows where Pedro is taking you, so he’ll be able to come for you.”
“Yeah.” I replied, looking pas-sed her and over to the painting of the rose bushes. “Girls?” I asked, forming an idea. They both looked at me questioningly, and since they both like to use their puppy dog eyes on me so often, I turned mine on them. “I nee-d you both to help me with something.” I explained. “I just want to see the garden one last time before we have to leave. It’s where Calvin proposed and I just can’t leave without going just one more time.”
Greer nodded first. “What do you want us to do?” She whispered and I waived them both to follow me into the bathroom, shutting the door behind us then running to turn on the shower.
“You guys just nee-d to distract all the guards so that I can sneak out.” I said in a hushed voice.
They both looked a little uncertain. “I don’t know,” Greer said. “You think it’ll work?”
“There’s only one way to find out.” Tessa said with a hair fli-p.
I smiled at her and filled them both in on the plan, then hurriedly changed out of my pajamas before I missed my cue.
I leaned my head against my be-droom door, pressing my ear against it so I’d hear them. After only a couple of minutes I heard Tessa’s bloodcurdling scream, followed by Greer yelling for help. I counted to three and opened the door, praying that all of the guards will have taken the bait, and thank goodness they had.
I ti-ptoed out of my room and down the elevator while Greer and Tessa kept the guards busy looking for the imaginary bug they had seen.
I’m sure it seemed silly to them, but the garden was where it really started. It was the place we both had said ‘I love you’, it was the place I’d had the most ro-mantic d@t£ I could dream up, it was the place he’d begged me to marry him, and it was the place I wanted to be to silently say my goodbyes to him before I’m ushered away to wherever it is I’m going. I went up the stairs and pushed the hatch open as fast as I could, feeling slightly defeated when I realized there was a soft drizzle of rain coming down from the cloudy night sky.
No stars or moon for me tonight, but the depressing rain felt pretty fitting for what I was here for. It really hadn’t been that long since it had all happened here, but I felt de-eply nostalgic nonetheless. I went and sat in the little chair at the table and let the rain soak throu-gh my hair and my thin red cotton dress. I leaned back in my seat, turning my face up towards the sky and closed my eyes, reliving all of my favorite memories with Calvin while the rain mixed with the tears on my cheeks.
My heart was heavy, but there was a rustling of the bushes behind me and my heart rate picked up. I quietly stood up, walking throu-gh the mushy ground to go around the first curve of the hedge maze, but it was so dark I could ha-rd ly see anything. I went a few steps dee-per into the maze, but my shoes were sinking into the we-t earth, so I turned around to go back out.
I stood frozen in place, the cool rain sliding down my ba-re arms, and my eyes glued to his like my whole life depended on it. He smiled slowly, his smoky blue eyes lighting up even in this darkness.
“Don’t tell me you’re lost again.”
I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off of my face as I stared across the way to his perfect smile. “Me? Lost?” I asked pla-yfully. “You must have me confused with someone else.”
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