Delicious Rose

45

Darcy

Packing my suitcase sucks, I want to stay here forever. The holiday hasn't gone exactly as we planned, it's still been brilliant, but I don't know If I could say Rose feels the same. On Saturday when Rose came back from meeting Luca, I could tell what her face was saying, the emotions behind her eyes. Chloe was almost oblivious, or she just didn't want to think about it. I know she does, she's just got this bitchy way of showing it sometimes.

When we forced Rose to tell us everything, I knew she was holding some stuff back, she didn't want to tell us everything, I knew that. Chloe rolled her eyes and scoffed when she explained their conversations during lunch, she almost laughed when she mentioned his Rose tattoo, I almost cried. Is Chloe blind? Is she just being stubborn? I can see it clear as day, I always have.

I watched from the beginning, from the night they met I saw how he looked at her, how he studied every detail of her beautiful face. Until the day he left, even if it started off as a game to him, I also knew how quickly he fell in love with her. He didn't even know it, I saw it.

I know Chloe's only acting this way because Rose is with Jacob, she's always preferred Jacob to Luca. He's a great guy but he's not for Rose. Anyone who really knows Rose can see that, she's been unhappy. Not obviously unhappy, she's just not whole and I don't even think she knows this herself. She doesn't laugh with Jacob like she did with Luca, I never see her smile like she did when Luca was around. I want her to see it, the truth. Luca is her soulmate. I believe that completely.
My phone ringing pulls me out of my mind, looking down to see Lee facetiming me, I smile to myself before picking it up and going outside for a fag."Hey you." Lee speaks first as I light my cigarette.

"Hello." I smile at him, his blonde hair growing darker by the day. His blue eyes bright and beautiful.

"How has it been? You packing?" He asks with a wide smile across his cheeky face, god I miss him. I begin to tell him our plans, we are leaving in one hour and our flights at six so we have plenty of time to chill out at the airport.

"What's wrong?" He asks catching me off guard.

"Nothing." I smile gently at him, hoping he drops it. I don't know what he would think, he loved Luca as a mate and I know he still misses him from time to time.

"Come on, what's wrong?" He asks again, his sweet laugh making me weak in the knees.

"Fine, please don't tell anyone, but Luca's here, he lives in New York." I answer. His eyebrows furrow together in confusion.

"What like Luca Haynes?" He leans in closer to the camera.

"Yes, I think Rose is so conflicted right now, they went out for lunch and I know she's struggling to deal with it all." I explain, I don't know how she's doing it.

"Shit, I'm sure she will figure it out when she comes home." I nod in return, maybe it will help. We dismiss the conversation, I don't want to get too involved in Rose's life. Even though I want to shake her head until she sees sense.

After getting off the phone with Lee I go back inside, Rose is out of the shower and getting dressed. Chloe's now in the bathroom freshening up before we leave."You alright girl?" I ask, walking back over to my suitcase just about managing to zip it shut. She gives me a wide smile as she slips on her grey sweatshirt.

"I don't want to go home." She struggles to speak, her voice trembling as she tucks a piece of hair behind her ear.

"We had a good time didn't we." I give her a warm smile, remembering everything that's happened. All the places we got to visit, I can't wait to get home and take a close look at all our photographs.

"I don't think I will forget that man you almost drop kicked for following us around on the subway." She reminds me with a real laugh. I laugh with her, feeling relaxed at the sight of her laughing.

"The people here are a bit weird and forward I must admit." I smirk, well not everyone but there are a few odd apples. Everyone a bit too forward for my liking.

"When we get home, can you send me the pictures on the Staten Island ferry? I want a new profile picture." She asks. I nod my head, the photos I took of Rose in front of the Statue of Liberty or the one with city lights behind her are incredible.

"You know, we can always come back soon." I hint. Hoping she knows what I mean, what I'm really saying to her. Her jaw tenses, turning to her suitcase, obviously trying to ignore me. I know I'm pushing her, but I'm extremely worried.

"I can't, for a while." She's so quiet.

"Why?" I ask, intrigued. I want to know what's going on in her mind, she's never shut me out so much before. I don't want to nag her or piss her off, seeing Luca really has severed an old nerve.

"I want to get over what happened, I need my time." She tells me. I nod my head, but I also don't understand what she's doing. Why is she fighting this? Why can't she see what she's got? Someone loves her so much and she won't accept it. Why?

"Okay, if you say so." I answer, she's walking out onto the balcony seconds later lighting a cigarette. I know I shouldn't force her, I just know she's going to regret this. Not fighting for him, I know he was trying so hard not to tell her the truth, how she told me he kissed her forehead and held her tight. I know he loves her, I'm so sure on it.

"You almost ready to leave?" Chloe walks out of the bathroom with a towel round her, I nod my head as I sit down on the bed scrolling through my social media.

"What's up with Rose?" Chloe asks, as she gets herself dressed and ready, I look back out onto the balcony. She's hunched over, smoking her second fag in under ten minutes.

"She's struggling, I think she doesn't want to leave." I tell Chloe, looking up from my phone. I hear it vibrate but I ignore it, Chloe's eyes questioning mine.

"You mean, leaving Luca." She tells me straight. She slips her leggings on from behind the wardrobe as I look back out at Rose. She's hugging her knees looking out towards the city.

"I reckon so, yes." I'm blunt. What can she possibly expect?

"She'll be fine once she's home." I watch Chloe as she rolls her eyes, packing the last bits into her bag. If I wasn't going to spend the next how many hours with her getting home, I would consider slapping the bitch out of her.

"Why can't she be more than fine? Why can't she be so happy that she can hardly handle it? I want her to feel how we feel, how she use to feel." I sit up straighter, never taking my eyes off Chloe. Challenging her to say something mean and unaffectionate towards our best friends' feelings.

"She's happy with Jacob, Luca's just found another way to fuck with her head, he's a tool!" She snaps back at me. I stand up, walking towards her.

"What I can't stand about you Chloe, like literally cannot stand about you is your inability to see past your simple-minded opinions." I hiss in her face, almost done with her. I'm not use to being around her anymore. I don't know how I lived with her for so long, she's a great girl but she's so opinionated and black and white it can be shocking.

"I'm just saying how I fe-" She starts but I cut her off again.

"You don't always have to say it, just let it fucking happen, be a supportive fucking friend even if it does end up like shit!" I glare at her before I go back to the bed; she's stands there silent for a few seconds before carrying on with her packing. I pick up my phone trying to ignore the anger boiling up inside of me, but my heart stops and my eyes widen at a Facebook message that was sent only three minutes ago, I can't say anything; I need to keep it quiet. It's from Luca Haynes.