In Plain Sight (A Hunted Rose)

Chapter Thirty

Over the next week, because they couldn’t miss that much school, the guys had come over to my house after school.  The same was true for me.  If I missed that much in a row, it would be suspicious, and that couldn’t happen. 

The days at school were long, but the nights home with only Liam were longer.  He tried his best to cheer me up, but it was obvious to anyone that I was caught in a downward spiral, fear and guilt riding me, pulling me down.  There were times at lunch and in our practices that I was able to laugh, and feel carefree, but after the guys left those feelings of loneliness tried to overwhelm me.  Liam helped, he really did; just his presence made everything so much more bearable, and I had hope that things would be over soon, and I would be free.

I was still working in the bakery, and I knew it would be too much to hope that Mrs. Anderson wouldn’t notice my struggles.

“Are you alright, Sweetheart?” she asked me in a kind tone as we were mixing some red velvet icing for the creamy white chocolate cupcakes – Mrs. Anderson’s take on a red velvet cupcake.  She stopped the mixer and looked at me with some kind eyes.

“Yeah,” I sighed.  “I just haven't been feeling very good lately.”

Without a word Mrs. Anderson wiped her hands on her apron, getting white dist all over the black fabric, and came over to me with a tight hug.

“You looked like you needed one,” was all she said, her face being swallowed by my hair as she squeezed me tighter.  “Sometimes, the thing you need most is a hug from someone who knows how much you need one.”

“How did you know?” I asked her, wrapping my arms around her. 

“I’m a mother, Honey,” she said as she pulled away, placing the palms of her hands on my cheeks as she looked at me with warm eyes.  “It’s instinctive.”

I couldn’t help my laugh.  “My brother has been basically doing nothing but giving me hugs and trying to cheer me up, but…”

“I understand,” Mrs. Anderson said.  “Sometimes it just needs to come from your mom, or the closest thing there is.  Right now, I guess that’s me.”

My smile was probably like the sun breaking through the clouds at that point, and Mrs. Anderson returned mine with one of her own. 

We were both able to hear the bell on the door ring as someone entered the shop.  It wasn’t too busy today, but there was a continuous flow of customers throughout the afternoon, which gave me time to get lost in my thoughts as I worked with Mrs. Anderson.

“Rosie?”  The voice was one I instantly recognized, partially because no one ever called me that aside from one person, and the other was because that voice had been ingrained in my memory for months.

“What are you doing here?” I asked Liam with both shock and distain as he walked through the door and into the kitchen.  “How are you back here?”

“I wanted to make sure you were doing okay,” he responded.  “And the girl out front, Kirstie, I think, was more than happy to let me through when I told her I was your brother.”

“Of course she was,” I muttered.  “Is there any female that is immune to your charms?”

“Obviously you, Rosie-girl,” he said with a smile as he walked to my side.  “But other than that, no.  I don’t think that I’ve encountered any.”  Liam reached out to ruffle my hair.  Considering that it was in a ponytail, he completely messed it up enough that I had to take it out and redo it, making me grumble a few minor obscenities and glare at him. 

Mrs. Anderson watched our encounter with humor in her eyes and a small smile on her face.  She was remembering what I had told her about Liam, namely things such as “he lives to annoy me,” and “he’s an idiot”.