Rosie White

Chapter 27

Everything's been on a downhill slope since the ball.

The ball set off a chain of events, all shit. My father has been on my back like never before regarding the transition (which is still, not happening), my mother has been breathing down my neck about the photos circulating in the media, firstly of me and Rosie at the ball and then one of me and her at that little coffee shop.

A business deal I was adamant was sorted fell backwards and resulted me in losing a client, not a massive problem, but still fucked me off.

On top of that, I haven't spoken to Rosie since Friday night when she was upset at the club, which means I haven't been able to figure out what's happening with her.

I've never been so miserable.

To put the cherry on top, I received an email, forwarded from my assistant, requesting a phone call to reference one Rosie White on Wednesday.

A reference, for Rosie. Which means she's applying for another job.

I'd never been stabbed, but I'm pretty sure I'd rather feel a real pain than the stabbing I feel through my heart right now.

I ignored the email, no way do I have the energy to discuss how excellent Rosie is. Maybe I'd be bias in this situation? Probably, but I don't think I could bring myself to give a bad reference for her.

I'm a selfish arsehole and don't want to let her go, from me or work.

I rub my hand through my hair, taking a moment to look away from the computer screen.

My eyes are burning, and I'm so done with looking at these documents. I know something, or someone, I'd much rather be looking at. Not speaking to her in a week has been hell. Pure hell.

I stand and turn to face the floor to ceiling windows. I glance down at the bar, my eyes searching a particular brunette. I see Elijah and Mia but no Rosie.

I crack my neck side to side, expelling a satisfying crunch before turning and heading out of my office.

When I enter the club level and seek out the bar. Elijah sees me approach and nods his head in greeting. "Where's Rosie?" I ask over the thumping base.

Elijah looks down the bar and shrugs his shoulders, "She didn't look too good earlier, maybe she went to the bathroom. Mia, where's Rosie?"

I glance Mia's way as she makes her way towards us, "I asked her to go get some supplies from the cellar ages ago, but she hasn't come back yet."

My feet are moving before Mia's finished talking, how could they not notice she wasn't there? What the hell did Elijah mean she didn't look good?

I storm the corridor and feel Elijah hot on my heels.

I rattle the code out, grab the cellar door and throw it wide, to see Rosie lying sideways on the floor.

"Fuck!" I shout, jumping down the steps.

"Shit! What should we do?" Elijah shouts from the top of the stairs.

I grab Rosie's arm and feel the clamminess, she's pale, her eyes dark rimmed, lips dry and white.

"Get Brandon! NOW" I shout towards Elijah.

"Rosie, Rosie open your eyes," I speak forcefully, gripping her face in my palms.

I place my fingers against her neck, I can feel a pulse. "Rosie, open your eyes baby, wake up."

Her body is cold to touch, this basement is freezing and she's only wearing a flimsy dress.

The door bursts open, and Brandon and Michael enter. "Fuck boss," Brandon speaks first.

"Call an ambulance!" I shout.

Brandon pulls his phone out and walks out to the corridor, Michael comes charging down the stairs, "Do you know what happened?"

"No, she's not fucking waking up."

"Has she been spiked?" he asks, and I pull her hands, turning them over and looking for any marks.

"I don't think so, unless someone tampered with her drinks upstairs, but she usually only drinks the bottled water when she's on shift."

I place the back of my hand on her forehead, "I need to get her out of here."

Michael nods just as Brandon opens the door again, "Ambulance a few minutes out."

"Good, let's head to the sidewalk," I reply, picking Rosie up in my arms.

Her body is limp, it's only now I notice how bony she feels. She didn't feel like that when I had her in my arms a couple of weeks ago, she's lost weight, it's clear to me.

We make our way out of the basement, and I walk through the off-limits corridor.

I don't want people seeing my Rose while she's like this.

As I exit into the night, the coldness hitting me, I hear sirens in the distance.

I walk to the end of the alleyway as the ambulance pulls up, I walk to the back, once the paramedic opens the back of the ambulance, I climb up, placing her down carefully onto the gurney pushing back her sweaty hair off her face.

"I found her unconscious," I speak as the paramedic moves besides her.

I sit at the head, stoking her hair, "Rosie baby wake up," I whisper into the crown of her head.

"Does she have any medical conditions?" the paramedic asks, placing an oxygen mask around her face before pulling out a blood pressure monitor and wrapping Rosie's arm.

"I don't think so, no," I reply, silently scolding myself for not.

"Ro, baby girl please wake up," I whisper.

"Name?" she asks.

"Rosie," I reply.

"Rosie, can you hear me?" She speaks firmly before ripping the monitor off her arm. She pricks Rosie's finger and I watch the blood drip onto the small device in her hand.

"She's hypoglycaemic," She speaks before shuffling in the units of the ambulance, "Let's go!" She shouts towards the front of the ambulance.

The ambulance starts up and moves off, I text Brandon a quick message stating to cover the club for me.

I place my phone back in my suit jacket pocket before focusing back on Rosie.

"Do you know the last time she ate?" The paramedic asks towards me.

I shake my head, frowning, "No, I don't."

"Her blood sugar levels are so low, I suspect she hasn't eaten in a good couple of days, or at least not eaten enough," The paramedic finishes.

I run my hands through my hair in frustration, why the fuck hasn't she been eating?

I can feel the tears pricking the backs of my eyes, looking down at Rosie's pale, basically lifeless body.

How could she let this happen to herself?

How could I let this happen?