FRAGMENTS ; Simon Riley

Chapter 16.

ROSALIE

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"You are all my heart talks about."

HIS warmth acted like a protective cradle for me, all thoughts vanished the moment that man held me in his arms, so delicately. Simon carried me with no effort, holding me close to his chest as he made his way to the extraction point, where the chopper awaited us.

Silence fell, every now and then I felt his gaze rest on me as if to make sure I was okay. My body entered a transition of sleep and confused awakening, muffled voices around me in different moments. I felt the propellers of the vehicle, the shaking as it took off, I who was still in his arms.

He just sat in there, letting me stay on his lap while I rested, a pair of headphones forced on my head to quiet the noisy ambience around us.

There it was; a gentle bump against my head, fabric brushing against my skin delicately. His chest rose and fell slowly, his eyes had closed, as he rested his cheek against my forehead, seeking for a support.

It felt like dreaming, I couldn't understand which one was reality.

And all of a sudden—not knowing when or how—my face nuzzled against a pillow.

I could smell that familiar cologne, mixed with the fresh smell of newly changed sheets. Peeking an eye open, I found myself in a room, clearly not my house.

Plain grey walls, a big black wardrobe covering a side, a dresser with a few products on it. It was neat, simple and barely decorated.

Not even pictures hung on the walls, just small squares where photos or paintings appeared to have previously hung, now removed.

It was too quiet in the house, and I could've taken a guess to where I was in this exact moment. Where else if not Simon's?

But the real question was, why did he bring me here and not the quarters back in the base?

Propping up, the sheets fell from my body, revealing an oversized shirt that replaced my uniform. He did not. He. Did. Not.

The panic grew, in a second I was standing, barefoot on the dark parquet. Silently, I slipped out of the room and found myself in a corridor. I walked along it with quick steps and on tiptoes, until I reached the living room, also simply arranged and empty. Then I heard it, the sound of cabinets opening and closing.

"Ghost?" I called out quietly, making my way to the kitchen, where I found a woman, facing me with her back. Was it.. Claire?

Her head turned to the side to look at me, a small smile forming on her rosy lips. And once again, she looked like an angel, glowing underneath the morning sun of this day. Her hair was tied in an updo, a few rebellious strands falling down, creating a messy perfection.

She fully turned around, "Good morning, Rosalie. How are you?" She asked with a calm that made me want to cry—because she was the one catching me kiss with her husband. How could she be so composed?

"..where's Simon?" I asked with a hint of hesitation, averting my gaze away from her. I felt a tiny tug in my heart, I wanted to go away from this place. "He's coming back with your meds."

My meds? How did he know?

I couldn't bring myself to look at her or speak to her. So I limited myself to a small nod while I sat down at the table, glancing at the breakfast settled on it. Awkward, too awkward. "Simon told me you had quiet a scene during the mission, he was worried and refused to leave you alone in the base. So he brought you here instead."

Lost in my thoughts, I didn't even answer her. I grabbed the fork and played around with the bacon, my hunger was subsiding slowly. Her presence was heaving in the air, even though she attempted to start a conversation with me in any way.

"You know, Simon seems more in a good mood lately. Have you noticed?" She asked, feigning innocence to me. At least that's what I was thinking.

"Looks the same to me." I grumbled in response, this time trying a bite of the scrambled eggs, munching the food slowly.

That damn man was always pushing me away, confusing me at his best. I didn't even know if he was doing it on purpose, playing with both feelings, or it just happened. Or I was mistaking his actions.

She stood there, leaning against the counter, watching me slowly consume my breakfast. Claire seemed very thoughtful, as if she wanted to tell me something else, but a noise in the background distracted us. The front door closed, heavy thuds were getting closer to the kitchen, and there he appeared. No mask, a simple dark sweater, pants and a black cap casting shadows over his features.

When will I ever stop finding this man attractive? For fuck's sakes.

He was holding a bag in a hand, the other shoved in the pocket of his pants. His cologne invaded the room, making my heart ache and my head spin for a split second, "Claire. You can leave." Those words rumbled from his chest with a heavy authority, making the woman look down at her feet, as if she were disappointed.

Without any protest, she gave me a faint smile and grabbed her bag, quickly walking away. But before anything, she stopped by his side and looked at him with longing, getting on her tiptoes to kiss him goodbye on the cheek.

My stomach turned in anticipation, but the opposite of what I was actually expecting surprised me.

Simon had taken a step back from her, turning his head to the side to reject her sweet gesture, and something flashed by her face when she glanced at me right after. Fuck, I was standing in between their marriage.

"Make sure she takes her meds, Si." Then, her presence disappeared from the house, with the front door closing gently.

It was just me and him, alone. His tall figure moved around the kitchen, tidying up a few things before taking out the meds from the bag, placing them in front of me. "You weren't taking them at all." He stated, with conviction. Not that I cared about that, but how the hell did he know about my meds?

"Didn't have time at all to pass by and buy them." I simply replied, eyeing him as I sipped the coffee.

"It's important that you take them. You can't let your mental health get in the way during missions."

"It's not about mentality. Don't even lecture me on it if you don't know me." I snapped, grabbing the box and opening it to get one pill.

"It's about migraines and memories, isn't it?" More than a question, he sounded sure of himself, as if he knew about everything already.

(A/N: this chapter is unedited too, I'm sorry!)