The Empire Of The Rose

Our Dirty Secret [III]

"What's wrong Alice?" Mason asked me.

I didn't answer, instead I fidget with my fingers and placed on my cap with the Chicago Bulls written in red in the front.

"Alice, you haven't said a single word since that night of the party." Mason told me as he sat next to me.

I gave a sigh as I kicked up my converse to the wooden chair where I was seated and hugged my knees closer to my chest.

"I don't want to talk about it." I said softly as I rested my chin between my knees.

"What happened sis?" Mason asked softly as he grabbed my hand making me look at him.

I got up and looked at Mason.

"I'm going for a walk." I told Mason as I hugged myself.

Mason got up as well and stared at me.

"I'll go with you." Mason told me.

I shook my head.

"No, I want to go alone." I said stopping him.

"But I don't want you to be alone; dad said that I should be there at all times to take care of you." Mason told me.

"I'll be fine." I said as I showed him that inside of my jacket, I had my daggers and silver stake hidden.

Mason gave a sigh in defeat.

"Alright but keep your phone on at all times." Mason warned before I walked away.

My thoughts were a constant blur as I walked on the side of the road, as I reached the town I realized that it was indeed a bad idea to come here alone as I winded up in one of the bad sides of town, it was getting darker and the sky threatened on breaking onto heavy rain.

I heard a couple of footsteps following me; I reached into my jacket getting a tighter grip on one of my daggers and turned around only to come face to face with no other than Ryder.

"What are you doing here?" Ryder asked as he stared at me, he had a dark blue hoodie on, his hair was still damp from the shower and I could smell his fresh cologne.

"I should be asking you the same thing." I fired back as I created some distance between us, the last thing I needed at the moment was to act out of instinct.

"I was boxing, what about you?" Ryder said as he gestured a boxing center down the street before he looked back at me.

"Believe it or not I won't spend my entire time locked up in your house." I told him.

"This is a dangerous part of town." Ryder told me making me smile, as if he would actually be worried about me.

"I am aware of that." I simply said before I started to walk away.

"Doll hold up; where are you going?" Ryder said as he grabbed my arm stopping me.

"Away from you, now let me go Ryder!" I said coldly as I tried to pull my arm away from his sickening grip, how was it possible that after all of this the current jolt still traveled throughout my body whenever he touched me.

"You have been avoiding me the past days, why?" Ryder asked as his gaze burned mine.

"I wasn't avoiding you; I just simply didn't want to see you." I told Ryder.

He gave me a small smirk.

"That's call avoiding, Doll." Ryder said with a small smile.

I raised an eyebrow at him; I was in no humor for this.

"It's not to me, you avoid people when you don't have the courage to look at them in the eyes, when you have the fear to not stand up and confront your problems, I didn't want to see you because I'm sick of your bloody games Ryder." I yelled at him.

Ryder's expression clouded.

"You saw me that night, didn't you?" Ryder asked me.

"I don't know what you're going on about." I said bitterly as I tried to pull myself away, but Ryder didn't budge.

"It wasn't what it looked like Doll." Ryder told me.

I gave a smile and scoffed.

"Look you don't have to explain me nothing Ryder, it's not like you're my boyfriend and I'm not your girlfriend, fate just thought it would be very fun to set you up as my soul mate but that's it, Ryder." I said before I pushed him off with my ability taking him off guard.

I used my vampire speed and raced off to an alley that was streets away from him.

"Doll, just wait up and listen to me!" Ryder yelled as he went after me.

I pressed my back against the wall and closed my eyes; I just didn't want him to see me like this.

My body trembled in fear but nevertheless I held my breath and silently prayed that Ryder wouldn't find me. The rain started to pour heavily on me and with a final sigh Ryder gave up and left assuming that I was long gone.

Once alone I let myself fall slowly to the ground before I broke off into uncontrollable sobs; the thunder echoed throughout the sky and the lighting that snaked around was the only light I was provided. I tighten my damp jacket around me and shuddered against the cold, due to the rain you really couldn't tell whenever or not I was crying but the hot tears that rolled down my cheeks were a constant reminder of my weakness, of him.

I heard some shuffling around me and instantly snapped my head up.

"Who's there?" I asked as my voice broke.

I could hear the indistinctive voices coming from inside the house, the lights were on, so I knew for a fact that they were there restless waiting for me. I opened the door and forced myself to step in, I limped a bit closing the door and I was in.

"Where the bloody hell where you Alice, why were you out this late?" My mum said as soon as she saw me.

I knew what she was seeing, I was a wreck. My knees and palms were scrapped, my clothes were torn, my jacket had various shreds, my makeup had run, and my hair was a wild damp mess, indeed I have had better days.

"Alice, where were you?" My dad demanded.

I didn't answer him instead I stared at Ryder who looked at me worried but honestly, I wasn't fooled.

"Let's go Alice, let's get you out of those soaking clothes before you catch a cold." My mum said as she ushered me upstairs.

"I really don't know what you were thinking Alice, just wondering off like that? You were gone for hours; we were dead worried!" My mum said as she dried my hair with a towel.

I stood there motionless as my mum spoke, barely breathing, barely there.

"Dear lord, Alice you're so cold, you need blood." My mum said as she touched my cheek.

To that I finally snapped back into reality.

"Mum, I don't want to be here. I want to go home." I said as I hugged her tightly burying my face in her chest just like I did when I was a little girl.

I was not going to stay in a place where I no longer felt welcome, where I didn't belong.