"Whatever," I mumble, my expressions and tone of voice shutting down quickly. Tears sting my eyes, threatening to fall. But I refuse them to, and quickly blink them away when I get back to the main room.
"Rose, what did he say to you? You look like you're about to cry," whispers Rowan worriedly.
"Hah, no. I guess it's just allergies," I lie, forcing a smile.
"Since when did you have allergies?"
That evening after dinner, Rowan and I decide to have a fire pit outside on the balcony. Evan and Gwen join us later, while Nathan doesn't show up.
Evan pulls out a cigarette, then glances around at everyone. "Anyone want one?"
Everyone denies, including me. His eyes spot at me with a sly smirk. I glare at him irritably.
"What?" I snap.
"Ever tried one?" He asks.
"No..."
"Aww, are you scared Princess? Should I go get Nathan to comfort you?"
My face burns a ruby red. "Shut up!"
Moments later, I angrily light a cigarette, having a point to prove. Rowan keeps protesting, saying that it's a bad idea. Evan watches with a smirk, while Gwen just glances at me as though she's angry. Everyone seems to get angry at me at some point.
I attempt to do a puff just like Evan has so many times demonstrated, but it backfires. I cough, turning a sickly green.
"Hey! Just go through with it! It gets really good once you get used to it," Evan says, standing over me. I barely hear him before I run to the bathroom and start puking. Gwen helps me to bed early that night.
I feel fine now, but the foul taste still seems to linger in my mouth, even if I brushed my teeth thoroughly like five times. I walk into my room, rubbing my eyes. I stare at a mattress on the floor in confusion.
"Why's there a mattress in the middle of the floor?" I ask curiously.
"Nathan said he has to make sure you don't run off again. He's sleeping down there tonight," Gwen explains uncomfortably, yet something else is in her voice.
Is she jealous of my unstable, possessive boyfriend?
I just roll my eyes, turning off the light and begin to doze off. Nathan comes in shortly, but I just ignore him, pretending to be asleep.
Nightmares haunt my dreams. Images of my friends being tortured and killed by the Fire Nation in numerous ways fill my mind. I only get about three hours of sleep before I sit upright, gasping for air.
Not real. Just dreams.
Nathan sits up sleepily. "You okay?"
"Yeah. Just a bad dream. It's no big deal," I reply coolly.
He studies my face in the dark. "Why don't you ever talk about your dreams? It might help."
"I don't talk about them because they're no big deal."
Nathan plops up on to my bed anyway, lying next to me. He wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me into his chest, stroking my hair. He's trying to comfort me, and I can't say it isn't working.
"You love me again," I murmur.
He smiles softly. "Who said I ever stopped?"
YOU ARE READING
Avatar Rose: Dusk
Fiksi PenggemarNathan and Rose have finally escaped from the Fire Nation. They're safe in the Water Tribe, but that doesn't mean that they lived happily ever after. Yet. Rose has changed a lot since the day Nathan found her unconscious at the entrance of his villa...
