Rose Is Back With Thorns

chapter forty three

She was sore. Extremely sore and sleepy. And wearing that stupid grin one wore after getting laid for the first time after a decade of celibacy. Memories from hers and Warren's rendezvous the previous night came rushing back to her accompanied with red pigmentation all over her neck and face. She was blushing furiously. She'd actually slept with Warren! Her best friend and_

A concerned voice disrupted her reverie. "Are you alright, princess? You seem a bit flustered."

Not wanting to face her father who sat at the head of the table, a grinning Warren to his left, Rose nodded and sunk lower in her chair. Hiding her face inside the coffee cup that was filled with steamy, black liquid, she grunted as a response to her father's question. Of course she was flustered! She ought to be flustered. She'd gone and spread her legs for the family's lawyer and one they'd all considered family. And the man, who was sitting there munching scrambled eggs like a happy toddler, seemed utterly unperturbed. If not for the slight smirk on his lips alluding that he was actually deriving pleasure from her embarrassment, Rose would have doubted he was the same scoundrel that'd kept her up the entire night.

Someone cleared their throat before Gabrielle's meaningful voice filled the atmosphere, mockery blended in it cleverly. "The poor thing's just tired." She sipped her coffee then added, "I would be if I had that much to drink on my birthday and then carry on to other nightly activities."

"Nightly...activities?" Rose heard her father ask curiously and she shot her friend a dirty look. Of course she knew. Rose and Warren had been at it all night and while Archibald and Leon were dead drunk to hear any of the disturbing noises that emanated from Rose's room, Gabrielle had been in perfect sobriety. The woman simply never got drunk!

She was scanning her head for an appropriate, convincing response when Warren came to her rescue. "Pray tell what nightly activities those were, love."

So much for a rescue!

Glaring menacingly at a smirking Warren, Rose decided she'd have to get back at him. The odious man wanted her to make a fool out of herself in front of her family just for his own amusement. Why, she was Rose Mayor after all and knew how to reverse tables. Devising a cruel retribution from the devilish female inside her, Rose replaced her coffee cup and took to the grapes and blackberries in a white bowl on the table. Her back ramrod-straight for height emphasis and cleverly sticking her chest out, she shrugged nonchalantly. "Nothing big,"

The cluttering of cutlery continued as everyone dug into their breakfast. They all ate too much, Rose couldn't help but realize. Yes, her entire family was a make up of a bunch of gluttons. She carried on, careful to keep her tone carefree. "I had a guest stay to accompany me last night."

Leon, her overprotective brother was the first to give her a scrutinising gaze. Rose resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "What guest?" His expression was that meaningful I-hope-it's-not-i'm-thinking breed of glare.

Leon could be scary when he wanted to be. When he looked at her like that, Rose wanted to up and run. But she had a plan to see through and from that amused smirk on Warren's face -she wanted to slap away- it had to be soon. Urbanely, she popped another grape in her mouth and said after swallowing. "Please, Leon. You don't expect a girl to spend her twenty ninth birthday night alone."

The brother sucked in a deep breath and teeth simultaneously. His fist curled atop the table where his arm rested. "Who was he? Was it that coward, Sylvester? Or was it some random fool from the party?" He turned to Archibald who from the looks of it intended to eat everything served on the table. "Father?"

"Son," he mumbled stuffing an egg yolk into his mouth.

Realising the man was in no way going to help, Leon turned to Gabrielle. "You. She's your best friend, who was the fool?"