Whirlwind

CHAPTER 6

The following two weeks went by in a blur of preparing for Brad to leave and lots of lovemaking.

Rosaline was already lonely even before Brad left. Their two weeks of messing around was up, tearing her heart apart. Try as she had to not fall for Brad, her heart had betrayed her. She'd known she loved Brad that first night they slept together. It's kind of hard not loving someone who didn't bolt at realising how messed up you are, you know? She couldn't confess her feelings to Brad, it would just complicate things. An probably hurt her if he doesn't return the feelings. She'd learned the hard way that when you let someone know you love them, they're sure to hurt you.

It was the day of Brad's departure and by the time Priska arrived at Brad's house, everything was packed and everyone was ready to leave for the airport, everyone but Rosaline. It was hard for her to watch Brad leave after two weeks of so much pleasure and passion.

Come on, Rose. If you just smile and think not about it, it won't hurt. Her grandmother's voice rang loud in her ears...er, head. Wherever it was coming from. She had been her pillar of strength throughout the years, helping her to cope with her parents' death. Even when she had found her first love making out with her then-bestfriend in the janitor's closet at their Homecoming party, her grandmother had been the one to offer a shoulder to cry on.

"Everything alright?" Priska's gentle voice was laced with concern. She'd seen how her son's gaze continuously strayed to Rosaline. Clearly, he didn't want to leave her, and if Rosaline's gloomy mood was anything to go by, she didn't want Brad to eave too. Everybody in the family loved Rosaline and had hoped that she'd be it for Brad. Something had definitely transpired between the two that made them long for each other.

"Yeah, I was just... I'm okay." She gave a sad smile before busying herself with double-checking that everything was there. When Brad deemed iit time to get going, they; Rosaline, Brad, Priska, Cody, Susan, José and Matt, hopped in the black hired, chauffeured limousine.

"I don't understand why you feel so obliged to go to Stellenbosch right now. Can't this wait until Rosaline's fully recovered? You're the doctor in this family, you know? Not Suzy. Not me. And definitely not Cody." The older woman complained nonstop.

"I feel very great right now, Mrs Joseph."

"Priska."

"Priska, yes. I'm actually healed and I'm leaving next week."

Brad snapped his gaze to her, "You are?"

The smile she'd mastered over the years was plastered on her face. "I thought we said I'll leave when MJ gets back? Well, she is coming home next week."

"Well, you can't leave!" He cleared his throat to smoothen the edge in his voice. "I have to inspect the place first."

Priska laughed. "I didn't know doctors also inspect places of cleared patients."

"That's 'cause you're not a doctor, mother, I am."

They all laughed at this and for the first time since today, everybody seemed to have come to terms with his leaving and the trip didn't seem too bad after all, even though he was seriously hurt that Rosaline would be leaving and he'd never hear from her again.

When they sobered up, Matt said, "Hear that, Rose? The doctor forbids you from leaving."

"She's Rosaline, Matt! RO–SA–LI–NE!" Brad snapped.

Matt laughed. "Chill out! You've referred to her as Rose so many times I forgot that's not her full name."

"He did?" Everyone chorused in utter shock.