thing for people like me. I wanted to make a difference in this world. Going to the seminary to become a priest like Father John was the best way I could think of to accomplish those goals. I wouldn’t fail. I wouldn’t go back to being the boy I’d been.
I wouldn’t be like my mother.
Clearing my throat, I eyed Rose nervously. She’d been quiet for two full minutes. That had to be a record of some sort. I sat back down. “Excuse my outburst. I shouldn’t have said that to you.”
Still, she remained silent. After a long pause, she finally asked, “Which part shouldn’t you have said? The curse, or the part about caring for me a lot?”
Squaring my jaw, I pushed back on my stool. “Both.”
“Why?” She reached out and tapped my chin. “Worried I’ll think you’re saying you’re in love with me, and can’t live without me, and must have me now?”
Leave it to Rose to hit the nail on the head. And leave it to her not to realize how close to the truth she was. I stared at her, not speaking.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she muttered, picking up her sandwich again. “Even if you weren’t becoming a priest, we both know we would never be together.”
She was right. She was absolutely right. She was off-limits to me for more reasons than one. I should leave it alone, and not poke the bear. But still—“Why not?”
Blinking, she swallowed and laughed. “Because you’ll always look at me like I’m Mikey’s little sister, maybe even yours, and nothing will change that. Not even that bath, and what you saw. If anything, it only drove it home more, judging from the way you reacted directly after.”
The last thing I saw her as was my little sister, but if she thought that I did, maybe it would help me keep my hands off her. Maybe having her think I didn’t want her would put an extra barrier between the two of us, since I obviously needed one. “When I first met you, you still wore pigtails in your hair and had a snotty nose. You were
literally
a snotty-nosed brat.”
Quickly, she lowered her head, but I didn’t miss the disappointment in her expression. “I’m still a brat, I just know how to blow my own nose now. Baby steps.”
I laughed. She was always good with a quick comeback, and it’s something I appreciated about her. “Glad to hear it.”
“But that doesn’t mean I need your help.” Rose pointed a finger at me. “I’m a fighter, not a crying chick in a tower. Don’t think one crappy night is going to change that. Change
me
.”
I held my hands up in surrender. “I’m not trying to insinuate you can’t take care of yourself. You’re stronger than anyone else I know, myself included. You were an amazing girl, and now you’re an even more incredible woman. I’m not trying to save you because I think you’re weak, I’m trying to
help
you because I
care
. I don’t want to see you get hurt again, like you did last night. I want to be there for you.”
She froze, staring down at her sandwich, and blinked.
If I hadn’t known better, I’d have sworn she blinked away tears. If she’d cried, I would have lost it. Rose never lost herself in tears, so if she cried…it would be because someone had broken her, and I would hunt down that man every second of every day and kill him with my bare hands. In cold blood. It would be worth going to hell for.
She finished off her sandwich and stood without another word.
I stood, too. “Rose, there’s something—”
“I’m going to go take a nap,” she blurted out, gesturing for me to sit back down. “I’m tired, and, well, I don’t have anything to do, so I figured I could take advantage of peace and quiet for once. I never get a chance to nap like this.”
My phone lit up with a text I’d been waiting for. Nodding, I flipped it over so she couldn’t read it and grabbed her plate before she could, sliding it under mine. “Good. Enjoy it. I’m going to run a quick errand, but I’ll be here when you wake up. And then
I wouldn’t be like my mother.
Clearing my throat, I eyed Rose nervously. She’d been quiet for two full minutes. That had to be a record of some sort. I sat back down. “Excuse my outburst. I shouldn’t have said that to you.”
Still, she remained silent. After a long pause, she finally asked, “Which part shouldn’t you have said? The curse, or the part about caring for me a lot?”
Squaring my jaw, I pushed back on my stool. “Both.”
“Why?” She reached out and tapped my chin. “Worried I’ll think you’re saying you’re in love with me, and can’t live without me, and must have me now?”
Leave it to Rose to hit the nail on the head. And leave it to her not to realize how close to the truth she was. I stared at her, not speaking.
“Don’t flatter yourself,” she muttered, picking up her sandwich again. “Even if you weren’t becoming a priest, we both know we would never be together.”
She was right. She was absolutely right. She was off-limits to me for more reasons than one. I should leave it alone, and not poke the bear. But still—“Why not?”
Blinking, she swallowed and laughed. “Because you’ll always look at me like I’m Mikey’s little sister, maybe even yours, and nothing will change that. Not even that bath, and what you saw. If anything, it only drove it home more, judging from the way you reacted directly after.”
The last thing I saw her as was my little sister, but if she thought that I did, maybe it would help me keep my hands off her. Maybe having her think I didn’t want her would put an extra barrier between the two of us, since I obviously needed one. “When I first met you, you still wore pigtails in your hair and had a snotty nose. You were
literally
a snotty-nosed brat.”
Quickly, she lowered her head, but I didn’t miss the disappointment in her expression. “I’m still a brat, I just know how to blow my own nose now. Baby steps.”
I laughed. She was always good with a quick comeback, and it’s something I appreciated about her. “Glad to hear it.”
“But that doesn’t mean I need your help.” Rose pointed a finger at me. “I’m a fighter, not a crying chick in a tower. Don’t think one crappy night is going to change that. Change
me
.”
I held my hands up in surrender. “I’m not trying to insinuate you can’t take care of yourself. You’re stronger than anyone else I know, myself included. You were an amazing girl, and now you’re an even more incredible woman. I’m not trying to save you because I think you’re weak, I’m trying to
help
you because I
care
. I don’t want to see you get hurt again, like you did last night. I want to be there for you.”
She froze, staring down at her sandwich, and blinked.
If I hadn’t known better, I’d have sworn she blinked away tears. If she’d cried, I would have lost it. Rose never lost herself in tears, so if she cried…it would be because someone had broken her, and I would hunt down that man every second of every day and kill him with my bare hands. In cold blood. It would be worth going to hell for.
She finished off her sandwich and stood without another word.
I stood, too. “Rose, there’s something—”
“I’m going to go take a nap,” she blurted out, gesturing for me to sit back down. “I’m tired, and, well, I don’t have anything to do, so I figured I could take advantage of peace and quiet for once. I never get a chance to nap like this.”
My phone lit up with a text I’d been waiting for. Nodding, I flipped it over so she couldn’t read it and grabbed her plate before she could, sliding it under mine. “Good. Enjoy it. I’m going to run a quick errand, but I’ll be here when you wake up. And then
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