Thorns On My Rose: A Story of the Daughter of Robert Downey Jr. (EDITING)

Chapter 19 - Horrible Timing

Robert's POV

Alana was vaguely interested in meeting Gwyneth from what I could tell. Or, at least, she didn't let on to what she was really feeling, what she was really thinking about. Which, you know, wasn't uncommon. She had simply rolled her eyes before looking out the window.

I was, well, I should've been used to that by now. Those cute poker faces and blank stares that held so much more than she knew they did. What she didn't know was that every time she pulled those darned expressions, it showed that she had something to hide in first place. So, basically. In trying not to give people a reaction, she still gave them a reaction by not giving them one.

I sighed, frustrated.

I honestly didn't know why I got so disappointed when she didn't talk to me or open up to me about certain things. I mean, there was that night at the pool, but that seemed like that stuff only happened every once and a blue moon, and I'm sure Rose placed that memory to the back of her mind, trying to forget it. And, of course, it wasn't her fault, not really. It was a defense mechanism of some sort. To protect her from trusting other people. To, in a way, protect herself from loving.

And that all made sense. I mean, she loved her mom, who then lied to her, and then she was pissed, very angry, but was pretty much forced to love Christy because she was dying. Then, you have her dare-devil grandparents, Brenda and Reed, some of the craziest people I've ever met. They are another thing entirely.

I look down and move some hairs out of her face. She's fast asleep on my chest now, a frown on her face as she dreams. I bite my lip so I won't laugh.

I lean back into the seat, closing my eyes.

My life. Wow. It's amazing. Never, ever, would I have thought that it would end up this way. Never.

I never thought that I would be so deep in drugs that I'd eventually go to jail. I never pictured myself being an actor, and a so-called successful one at that. I never pictured myself NOT marrying Indio' s mother and then being removed from his life for a few years due to said drug problems. I never thought that I'd meet Chris and NOT fucking marry her. What a dumbass I must've been to let a girl like that slip through my fingers.

I never thought that Chris would get pregnant with a girl, a girl that never knew that I knew she existed but chose to ignore her.

And I definitely never thought that something as horrible as Christy dying would bring me back into Lana's life.

I also never pictured her oblivious grand folks just handing her over like a pet or some thing. It had made me sick in a way. I tried to offer them money, some sort of exchange, maybe to make it more legitimate... I don't know. Because now that I think about it, it really just looks like I was trying to buy my own kid. Which is... so many levels of wrong.

All I'd asked of them was that they give Lana and I our space and that they give me chance. And, all Brenda had asked was that I take good care of her granddaughter. And, I'm not even sure I was doing that.

Susan. I never saw myself divorcing her. I imagined marrying her, having a kid with her, and loving her. But I never knew that things would end up the way they had. Never. But I think that it's safe to say I'm better off without her.

And, I think, that if Rose had never shown up, I'd still be in a virtual hell. I opened my eyes, smirking.

I kissed her hair and then closed my eyes, drifting off into a well anticipated sleep.

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Alana-Rose POV

I was very irritable when I woke up. I had never been overly fond of sleeping in vehicles. They moved too much and would never be as comfortable as actual beds. I opened my eyes and turned onto my back, laying across the backseat. Wait... Robert... Wasn't I laying on Robert. I shot up, instantly regretting it.