If someone had told Rosalina King her 23rd birthday would have taken the turn it had that night, surprise wouldn't have been the only emotion gracing her features. Hope would be seen behind those brown eyes of hers. Of course, if you didn't manage to catch it fast enough, she'd smile, and hide said hope behind one of her many infamous jokes. You'd be so busy laughing, you'd miss the way she bit the inside of her cheek, miss the silent prayer she'd make for your story to come true.
"You're doing this for them mon lapin. Think only of them."
It was a mantra from her mother, one Rosalina was constantly repeating to herself. Through every dress fitting, gag-worthy cake tasting, and obnoxious cocktail party, those words would be the only ones stumbling through her head. Yes. She was doing this for Mason's family because she'd grown to love them as her own, and the idea of them being hurt wasn't something she liked to dwell on. And if marrying William was the only way to ensure their safety, then that's what she would do.
"You'll learn to love him." Maybe if she kept repeating those words to herself, she'd finally start to believe them. And if she was lucky, she could make that happen before the next ten years. But who was she kidding? The only thing she'd ever feel towards William, if anything, was tolerance. And while she knew it was practically impossible, maybe she'd be able to get through it without having to be constantly reminded of the only man she could ever imagine making her happy. But unless they both had a death wish, that was the last thing they'd let happen.
"You will learn to love him." "You will love him." "You love him." But as those words routinly passed through her head, it wasn't Williams forest green eyes she saw staring back at her. No. It was Mason's stormy grey ones. "You love him. You love him." Although she'd never dare to utter those words to him, it was still good to know, and as Rosy suddenly finds herself getting more and more entangled with Mason, there seem to be more and more close calls of said forbidden words leaving her mouth. Sadly, nothing good lasts, yet the bad in her life seems to love slithering itself in every chance it gets. And as she's come to find out after four gruesome years with the man, Williams' lack of acceptance that she's not his grows with every passing hour. His attacks become more hard to ignore, and the close calls become one too many. But in Williams mind, Rosalina is his, only his, and if it means destroying everyone she loves to get her, then so be it.
"I'm giving you one last chance Lina. Choose wisely."
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An Unraveling Rose
Teen FictionYou never really forget your first love. There will always be someone that bites you and holds on, who, despite flaws like killer exes and not so charming pasts, you can never seem to get over. And while he most definitely isn't the dark and mysteri...
