The Rose Boys

Chapter Thirteen

"I can not believe him." Darren said through his teeth. "I'll deal with Kevin later. In the meantime," He turned to look at me. "You're going to stay with me all night."

I opened my mouth to protest but Darren spoke again.

"I mean it, January. If something else happens to you, it'll be my fault. I just wouldn't be able to live with it."

I was awestruck by how much Darren seemed to care for me. I couldn't believe it.

"Now sit still while the family doctor gets here."

Amber snorted. "You got Jacques to come at this hour?"

"What?" Darren asked, "It's only ten."

"Remember this moment," Amber said to me with a grin. "That's coming from the same guy who refused to go to the doctor when he got pneumonia because it was too late."

I smiled weakly, my head still aching. I had hit it pretty hard. I could see Darren look over at me from the corner of my eye. I sat on a comfortable bed in Darren's own room on this giant boat, Darren stood by the door with his sister.

"I'm going to go out on Deck and wait for Dr. Jacques." Amber said, heading out the door.

As soon as the door shut, Darren moved to sit beside me. I looked up at him and smiled. "Thanks for saving me." I whispered.

Darren smiled thinly. "It's my fault that you were put into this situation."

I frowned. "What?"

"It's my fault January, and to think that I was going to ask-" The door burst open to reveal Amber and the Doctor.

He was a greying, middle aged man with a long nose with thin frames pushed almost all the way up to his brow. "What's the issue?" He asked through a very heavy French accent.

"She hit her head really hard." Darren said, wrapping his arm around my shoulder. "She seems out of it, I'm worried."

"Alright, look up at the ceiling," the Doctor said, leaning down towards me. He pulled a flashlight out of his breast pocket and flashed it into my eyes.

I winced from the shooting pain that ensued.

"Aah, yes. I see, pupils are dilated." He said with a nod. "What's your name dear?"

"J-January." I said slowly.

"That's good at least." Darren increased his grip on my shoulder slightly. The Dr. Jacques turned to Darren. "She has a concussion. Either she stays up all night or she must be woken up every few hours to check on her during the night."

Darren nodded grimly. He was acting like it was the end of the world.

"And with that, I will take my leave. Goodnight." The Doctor was then escorted out with the help of Amber. After they left Darren took his arm back and turned to look at me.

"You're really pale." He said, reaching up to touch my forehead. "You're kind of warm too."

"You don't have to do all of this."

Darren shrugged his shoulders, his hand was still on my face. "I don't really know anymore January."

"What do you mean?"

"The only reason I have to save you is because I put you in situations where you need saving. And I guess it's not really that important anymore because things can never be the way they are again."

I stared at Darren, who got up from the bed and moved over to the dark wood dresser beside the bed that I sat on. I watched him. "I don't understand." I said quietly.

 "When I was outside on the Deck with you and Nick came to get me saying that what he had to tell me was urgent, I didn't realize exactly how urgent it was until I picked up the phone." He pointed at a light blue phone that hung on the wall by the door.

"What about it?" I asked, staring at the shiny plastic as it seemed to gleam in the light.

"I got a call from my parents." Darren said. "They said that they found a girl that they want me to marry. The marriage is going to merge the two companies. My Dad said that it would be a good business investment. I meet with her tomorrow."

"Is that what your parents think you are?" I asked angrily, the increase of blood to my head making me slightly woozy. "They think that you're something that they can used to increase their power in the world?"

"You wouldn't understand." Darren said, flopping back onto the bed, staring up at the white ceiling. "You don't have the kind of responsibilities that I do."

I laughed. "Are you kidding  me? You might have to deal with business stuff and all that, but I have to worry about money, cook for the family because my Mom goes to the school to clean every evening. I also have to clean and run errands. We don't even have a car, do you know how hard errands are when you don't have a vehicle to drive you everywhere?"

Darren looked over at me. "Alright, alright. You win, Tiger." 

I felt my face grow warm. "Not to change the subject or anything, but what were you going to say to me out on the Deck earlier anyway? You got interrupted and never finished your sentence."

"It doesn't really matter, it's not important anymore." said Darren darkly.

"Oh come on," I said. "I have a splitting headache and worse of all, I have to spend the rest of my night here with you."

Darren gave me a hurt look.

"I'm kidding, obviously." I scoffed. "Man, you are really easy to bug. Please tell me?"

There was a long pause. Darren took a deep breath but said nothing. I was sure that he wasn't going to say anything but then he did. He sat up once again and turned to face me.

"I was going to ask you to go out with me." He shrugged like it was no big deal. He pulled his hand out of his pocket and held it over to me, his fist closed. "Open up your hand." I did as I was told and he dropped something light into it.

His hand hovered over mine for a few seconds as we looked at eachother. A moment that should have felt awkward somehow felt warm and happy. I smiled as he wrapped his hand around mine and opened it up. 

"Look." 

I looked down and gasped.

It was a silver ring with two red diamond hearts that sat perfectly near eachother. There were tiny white diamond accents around them and the silver band started at one heart and ended at the other. I was speechless as he slipped it onto my right ring finger and bent to kiss the top of my hand.

"If you say yes now, I'll do whatever it takes to be with you." Darren whispered, coming up to kiss my cheek. I closed my eyes, feeling guilty for making him this way. I liked him too but did I like him as much as he liked me?

"Darren..." I said, at a complete loss for words. "I don't even know what to say right now."

"You don't have to say anything." He said, softly. "I'll wait for your answer."

I continued to look back at the ring that sat clear as day on my hand. I reached up to comb my fingers through Darren's wavy hair. He looked at me surprised as I brought my face towards his; I closed my eyes and kissed him, feeling his soft lips under mine and his surprise when I kissed him. 

I savored that moment before I pulled away and slowly opened my eyes to look at him. I'd made up  my mind and I knew that there would be no going back after this.

Darren seemed to sense that too, he bit his lower lip, waiting for my decision.

"Yes." I whispered happily. "I say yes."