Fixing Her ⇉ Simon Minter [2]

TWO

The GIF Below Is Rose

    "You're always welcome here, never forget that."     

"I'll grab your things, you stay here," said JJ as he and Rose stepped off the elevator. They were at the Halo Tower to collect Rose's things, so she could stay at the house, JJ volunteering to join Rose so she wouldn't have to go alone.

It wasn't a hard job, but Rose knew she'd have an argument the second she stepped inside the old apartment.

"Okay," Rose agreed as they stopped outside Harry's apartment, noise and chatter coming from inside. JJ squeezed Rose's shoulder reassuringly before knocking on the front door.

"Coming!" someone yelled. A few seconds later, Harry stood opposite JJ and Rose.

"Hey Jide, what's up?" Harry asked slowly, confused to why the older boy was at his front door.

"I'm getting Rose's stuff, she's staying with us," JJ said before barging past Harry and stepping into the flat. Harry exclaimed as JJ pushed him aside, stumbling into a wall.

Rose stood silently as JJ disappeared around a corner, the chatter dying down and a girlish scream coming from inside the flat. Harry didn't even blink before running into the flat to rescue his 'princess', leaving Rose feeling helpless in the hallway of the tower.

"Rose?"

Rose turned around and spotted another old friend, Ethan Payne.

"Ethan!" Rose exclaimed, running towards him. Ethan had shed a few pounds since she'd last seen him, muscles now replacing the chub that had once been there. Ethan looked like a whole other man but still remained the silly friend everyone loved so much.

"You're home!" Ethan yelled as he swept Rose into his arms, squeezing her tightly. Rose instantly was reminded that this, in fact, wasn't her home anymore.

"I'm actually living at the main house for a while," Rose revealed after Ethan had put her feet on the carpet. Ethan frowned, looked at the open apartment door, then back at Rose.

"Katie," he sighed, and Rose nodded, a grimace on her face. Ethan chuckled and ruffled Rose's hair, a silly smile on his face.

"You should come see Emily and I, we have a new addition to the family," he said teasingly, and Rose gasped, wondering how she'd forgotten. A month after she'd left, Emily and Ethan had revealed on social media that Emily was pregnant, then a few months back, they'd welcomed Brooke.

"Brooke! I have to meet her!" Rose squealed, and Ethan nodded, laughing at Rose's excitement.

"She's met all the boys and I think it's safe to say she loves Josh the most," he said with a laugh.

"Daddy!" Rose giggled, and the pair burst into hysterics, Ethan probably disturbing the whole tower.

"Rose, I've got everything!" JJ called behind Rose, heaving all her luggage out of the apartment. Rose turned to JJ and laughed even harder at the sight of on the suitcases balancing on his head and shoulder.

Rose left Ethan and grabbed the suitcase, JJ sighing in relief as she set it on the floor and gripped her hand around the handle.

Ethan walked over with a smile, placing a hand on Rose's shoulder.

"Come over and see Brooke soon, yeah?" he offered, and Rose nodded before Ethan waved goodbye and set off down the corridor back to his own flat.

JJ and Rose looked at each other before sighing and pulling the luggage towards the elevator, talking getting louder in Harry's apartment.

Then, Katie appeared in the doorway, her brows furrowed and face scrunched up angrily.

"Next time you want something, don't send around your stupid boyfriend!" she screeched, and Rose chuckled drily.

Turning to Katie, Rose smiled sarcastically.

"If I wanted a boyfriend, you can be sure as Hell Harry wouldn't be with you," she spat, and Katie looked as if someone had slapped her. The brunette huffed and stomped her foot on the floor. She looked like a toddler having a tantrum; it was embarrassing.

Rose smiled once more before turning around and walking with JJ to the elevator, slamming her hand on the button.

♕

"She's a fucking joke," Rose yelled as she slammed her foot against the metal walls, JJ watching cautiously from behind two suitcases of luggage.

"Her and Harry are a fucking joke. She's going to break his heart and I won't be there to mend him. He's a joke, Jide." Rose was finally over her minute of crazy as she slid to the floor and placed her head in her hands. She was angry and confused and it was only her first day back in London. What a mess this had all turned out to be.

"Look, Harry doesn't deserve you. Tell him he doesn't deserve you. Find someone better than him and rub it in his face, show him what the hell he's missing," JJ offered as a solution. Rose huffed into her hands and JJ sighed.

Rose didn't know what he was doing until the elevator suddenly stopped, a red flashing light in the corner of her eye.

Looking up, Rose realised JJ had pulled the emergency stop button, a smirk on his face.

"Talk with me, Ro. Tell me what you're feeling," JJ coaxed Rose as he pulled her to her feet.

Rose whimpered as tears started to build up in her eyes and her words got stuck in her throat. She couldn't speak, couldn't explain the pain.

Harry was supposed to love her, to wait for her. He wasn't supposed to love Katie, whoever she was. Harry had promised, had fixed Rose. Now, he was hurting her more than Simon ever had.

JJ didn't know what else to do other than hug Rose, his arms wrapping around Rose as she cried and whimpered.

"It's okay," he whispered but Rose couldn't hear as all noise faded and all she could hear was herself, crying. She'd been through heart break with Simon; his betrayal and lies had taught her heart break well enough. But this, this feeling of actual pain as if her heart was slowly being torn apart, this was more than heart break. This was agony, this was more than heart break. Harry didn't just want her heart broken; he wanted her heart to stop.

Finally, sound came back and JJ was whispering reassuring words into Rose's ear, his hands stroking her back to comfort her.

"You ready to go home?" JJ asked after pulling away, Rose wiping her face on the sleeve of one of Vik's jumpers. She nodded, and JJ pushed in the emergency stop button, the elevator whirring back to the life and starting with a jolt.

Rose sniffled as she shakily gripped the suitcase handle. Nobody would ever see her that weak again. She had to be strong if she was going to survive this hurricane of hurt and pain running her way. She had to.

♕