The Tangled Rose (Book One in the Tangled Series) (Editing)

Chapter 10

When we finally get home, Kyle carries Rose into the house. I go inside grabbing my first aid kit walking to the couch where Kyle just put her down. She looks at me with sad eyes as I dab her head with peroxide to clean the cut on her forehead before I wrap gauze around her head.

For a moment it's like she looks through me before she stands up and starts heading up the stairs before saying "I need to go to my room for a while."

"Wait, let me come with you," Kyle says starting to walk towards her.

It's like there is a plead in her eyes. "No... Please, I need time."

"But-" she interrupts him and it kind of sets us both off edge.

"Please." she hides guilt behind her eyes and I see the sadness wash over Kyle's face as she walks upstairs and intoner room closing the door.

"Can you go up and calm her down, please. I hate it when she cries!" Kyle says like he knows something that he doesn't want to say.

"Are you sure you don't want to?" I ask trying to see if he is going to tell me what he thinks he knows.

"I don't want to make her feel worse," he says rubbing the back of his head so I nod and go upstairs to Rose's room knocking on the door.

*Knock* *Knock*

"W-Who is it?" her voice cracks.

I place my palm on the door leaning in. "It's Eric."

"C-come in." I walk in and see her curled into a ball with her knees against her chest and her back against the headboard.

"Rose what's wrong?" Her head comes up to look at me, her eyes watery and her cheeks are filled with tear streaks. Walking over to the bed, I sit down next to her. A chill runs up my spine as I remember that I don't have a shirt on. She sits up next to me still crying into her hands so I pull her into my arms and she is so cold. She lays her head on my chest and lets out a long sob but I don't understand why is she crying so hard?

"Rose what's wrong?" I ask again and she looks up at me so I wipe the tears from her face. I then realize that we are very close and I know I let myself get to close.

"YOU!" her lip quivers as she speaks and I give her a confused look.

"What do you-" I give her a confused look and she cuts me off.

"Why are you so nice to me? To other people, I don't deserve it!"

"Rose, you deserve well more than you realize," I reply in a serious tone.

"Yes, I am. Why are you so nice? Why do you care for me? I don't know my own feelings they are all jumbled up." she cries out. I open my mouth to speak but she speaks before I can. "Why are you magically there when I need you? You are giving me mixed signals. I feel very safe around you! But you act like there is something between us one moment then nothing the next. I can't take this anymore!" she says crying into her hands.

I know where she is coming from. "Rose please I'm sorry-"

"Kyle is always there for me too I feel so safe. Maybe it's because you're his brother or maybe, Oh no it can't be that. You both mean so much! You protect me." she is mumbling and I don't know what she is trying to say.

"Rose stop please." She keeps talking very fast. I can't understand what she is saying. I want her to just shut her pretty little mouth and let me talk.

"Now I'm more confused than ever. I care about Kyle but I think I'm starting to fall in love with you. Why is this so complicating? Why? I'm an ug-"