Found Obsession

Chapter 21: A day off

Rose's eyes fluttered open, her senses tingling with the faint instinct of danger. For a moment, her heart raced, but the soft caress on her arm melted the tension away as last night's events resurfaced in her memory. The weight of Raven's presence beside her grounded her, and she let out a small breath, calming her nerves.

"Rose," Raven whispered softly, his voice close, intimate. She remained still, resting against his chest, uncertain of what to say or how to feel. The silence between them felt fragile, hanging in the air as she swallowed, trying to understand why she had asked him to stay the night before.

He shifted slightly, his arm still gently draped over her. "I've never slept with someone, a woman before..."

Rose's eyes shot up in surprise before a laugh bubbled up from her chest. She rolled her eyes playfully, a smirk tugging at her lips as she looked at him with a teasing gaze, her expression clearly saying, Yeah right.

She chuckled again, the sound light and genuine. "Sure," she teased, knowing exactly what he meant, he probably reffered that he never literally fell asleep without doing other stuff.

As the tension eased, Rose rested her head back against his chest, the rhythm of his heartbeat in her ear, grounding her in the quiet, shared space of early morning.

"Is it late?" Rose asked, noticing the bright sunlight streaming through the window. She could already feel the warmth of the day outside.

Raven stretched beside her, his voice low and soft. "Take the day off with me. Just once... I want to be free. I want to exist-," he whispered, his words lingering in the air.

Before she could respond, a sudden knock at the door startled her. She quickly stood up, scrambling out of bed, still half-dazed from the warmth and comfort she had shared with Raven.

When she opened it, she found Mira standing there, her usual chipper self. "Rose!" Mira chirped brightly. "Riley sent me to check if you were alright."

But then Mira's gaze shifted past Rose and landed on Raven on the bedroom's doorway. A slow, knowing smirk crossed her face as she raised an eyebrow. "Ohhh... I see why you've been feeling tired," she teased, her voice full of playful accusation. "I'd be exhausted too if I were in your place."

Rose's face turned beet red as she stammered, trying to explain. "Mira, no, it's not-"

Mira cut her off with a laugh, already turning to leave. "Relax, Rose. I'll report you as 'sick' to Riley. And you-" she pointed a mock-accusatory finger at Raven, "-you better give my best friend some rest, alright?"

Rose's mouth dropped open in shock, her face burning. "Mira, seriously, it's not what you think!"

But Mira just laughed again, giving Rose a wink as she walked away. "Oh please, girl. I wasn't born yesterday." And she walked away snickering.

"So... we have a day off?" Raven asked, his tone hopeful as he gave Rose a playful grin.

Rose turned to glare at him teasingly, raising an eyebrow. She groaned and finally gave in. "What do you want to do?"

Without missing a beat, he replied, "I've never been to an amusement park."

Rose blinked in surprise. "Really?" she asked, thinking for a moment. She couldn't even remember if she had ever been to one herself. The idea seemed oddly appealing.

"Alright," she said with a shrug, "let me shower first."

Raven's face lit up with childlike excitement, making Rose chuckle softly. "I'll get ready. Meet you in an hour?" he said eagerly, already halfway out the door, hurrying back to his apartment.