Hired (Forbidden Lovers: Rosie Anders)

28 - Please Say Yes

BUZZ! The sound wakes me from my slumber and I feel several muscles groan as they are stretched back into their original position. Sleeping on the floor, with you head tipped back towards the seat of the sofa is clearly not good for your posture.

BUZZ! The sound comes again, longer this time, soon followed by a recognisable voice.

"We're know you in there, so open up!" Chloe calls through the door.

In my half alert state with my creaking bones, I somehow manage to stand and not immediately fall over. Although, my bottom does have some waking up to do still. Wonder how long I have before the pins and needles kick in.

I take my time heading to the door, knowing that I will not look my best. I'm sure I have make up running down my face from the crying before I fell asleep and I am still bleary eyed from being asleep. Good job it is only my two best friends who will see me like this.

"Hey." I greet them as they come in and head straight for the lounge. I follow behind, sure one of them would have said it by now.

"How are you?" Kacey asks. "I know it always seems like a stupid question, but I am actually asking. I want the truth." She looks at me sympathetically, but I can't do this until one of them says it.

"Why don't you just say it?" I glance at Chloe, given it was her that said it would end like this when we went shopping for my new wardrobe.

"Say what?" She narrows her eyes are me slightly and then looks to Kacey for help, but she shrugs her shoulders.

I shake my head and laugh. Surely, it should be obvious to them? I kneel down by the table and look at them both in turn. "Say I told you so." They look away, as if slightly embarrassed. "It's okay, you know. You can say it, because it's true." I sigh. "I was an idiot; I fell for his stupid game and now here we are. I don't get a promotion and he got what he wanted out it all."

"No, he didn't." Kacey whispers, assumingly meant just for herself, but Chloe and I look at her questioningly. There was no missing those words in the silence between us.

"Excuse me?" I raise an eyebrow. "Please, do not tell me you are defending him!" I stand and walk away from them, to look out the kitchen window to see the sun starting to set. "He made me play his fucking game with his fucking rules, and you're trying to tell me he didn't get what he wanted!" I turn to face her, that anger I felt this morning rising again.

Kacey straightens up. "Forget I said anything. This isn't about him; it's about you."

"It's about both of us!" I move forward and know I have to tell them about last night. "I have to tell you something."

"You and Matthew hooked up last night." Kacey states.

I look up at her. "How could you possibly know that I was going to say that?"

"I... uh... lucky guess from this morning. I made a joke about something happening between you two and it was written all over your face." She shrugs like the observation was no big deal ad nudges Chloe. "Right, Chlo?"

"Uh, yeah, sure. I guess." She smiles at me briefly and then looks to Kacey as if they are having a telepathic conversation. "Anyway, what is so significant about last night?" Chloe looks to me and I glance at Kacey as if she is going to fill this in for me too.

When she doesn't say anything, I compose myself and begin. "Last night, Matthew and I, slept together. Now, I know it's not the first time it's happened, but like that it was." I drop my gaze and fiddle with the hem of my skirt. "Yesterday was different in so many ways it's hard to put into words. It was like it was the first time we actually meant every touch, every kiss; like we wanted to be there not just for the pleasure of it but because it was with each other." I chuckle briefly at my stupidity. "Guess I read it all wrong; I read him all wrong. He made me believe last night that maybe we could finally..." I shake my head. "It doesn't matter now. He's shown his true colours and who he really is. I hope he's happy."