I Don't Deserve Love: Alternate Ending

Chapter 57: Mistakes Don't Deserve Happiness

A/N The picture was apparently drawn by an artist called cafa2513 and it is titled "Im tired of crying"

Light was filtering through the open blinds of the hotel to greet my unadjusted eyes as I slowly blinked and tried to wake my fuzzy brain. What happened last night? I was watching Dajan and Mark play a game of pool and I got super sleepy.... Did I... I blinked a few more times and realized that not only was I in the hotel bed with the covers pulled up around my ears, but Rosa was sleeping peacefully next to me with her hair splayed out everywhere it could possibly reach.

Thoroughly confused, I thought back again to last night but couldn't remember ever leaving the game room. How did I get back to our room?

Cautiously I moved a little further away from Rosa before stretching my arms up over my head luxuriously. With a gasp the memory of me tossing that jerk who had insulted Dajan popped in my head and I instantly clamped one hand over my mouth and another over my eyes, peeking out of a slit in my fingers to make sure I didn't wake anyone up. Rosa didn't stir and it looked like Kim and Iris in the other bed were sleeping soundly as well, so I lowered my hands and thought back to that experience.

I knew that I had been in the wrong. When I heard him insult Dajan though something had completely snapped and I just wanted him to stop speaking. It had seemed so natural. The move I used last night wasn't from my father's karate school but had been taught to me during a week when Father invited instructors from different martial arts to come to fight him and show the difference between the various other fighting styles. After we watched the matches for a week each of the instructors taught us their 'signature' move. 

I had been drawn to the judo hip throw. I never tried to use it against my father, but whenever I successfully pulled it off during a practice against an opponent he had actually looked less disappointed, so I did my best to master it.

A shaky sigh escaped me and I tried to hold back my tears. Of anyone who could have seen me cry, I was glad that it had been Dajan. He didn't pry, just let me calm down in my own time and his older brother vibe helped me feel stronger and chase away the guilt I had felt so acutely last night. I couldn't take back what I did, but I promised myself I would learn from this and never let my anger take hold of me like that again. 

Glancing over I stiffened when I realized that Rosa had opened her eyes and was staring at me silently. Not even daring to blink I met her probing stare, wondering what it was that she was looking at.

"Are you dating Castiel?" she whispered without preamble and my mouth dropped open in shock.

"M-me?" I squeaked out and she nodded seriously. "No," I whispered, glancing over at Kim and Iris to make sure they were still sleeping.

"Then why was your phone background a picture of you and Cassie?" Rosa asked in a hushed voice. 

I groaned, burying my face in my pillow and cursing myself for going along with what Castiel had said even though he never would have known if I changed the picture.

"I didn't do that. Ca.... wait. Did you call him Cassie?" I whispered, suddenly registering the full sentence she had just said. Rosa waved her hand dismissively at my comment and scooted closer to me on the bed so we were only inches apart.

"It's my nickname for him; he hates it. But why did you keep it if someone else changed it for you? Did he do it?" she whispered, once again her voice more serious than I had ever heard her before.

"Y-yah. That's why I was late meeting up with you yesterday. He came down to my locker with me and asked to see my phone. He said that if any guys tried to bother me then to show him my phone and they would back off..." I explained in a barely audible voice, feeling embarrassed just remembering the exchange. Rosa sighed and ran a hand through her bangs.