Page 191 of Make Me Trust Again
Rose’s finger slips under the chain around my neck, her mouth swallowing my words before I can finish the sentence.
“Yes,” she breathes as she pulls back, her irises shining in the moonlight.
“Yes?”
“Yes.” She nods, a smile curling her lips. “If this thing with John taught me anything, it’s that we don’t have time to waste, and I don’t want to spend one second without you, Chase.”
“Fuck, Rose.” I reach for her, or I try, because my left hand is stuck in the brace, completely useless, so I pull her to me with my right one, kissing her long and hard, until my vision turns blurry. “Anything you want, sweetheart. I’ll give you anything you want. You’re not going to regret this.”
“You.” Her fingers intertwine with mine. “I just want you.”
EPILOGUE
ROSE
The bell chimes as I step into the Reading Nook, only to be greeted with… silence? I look up and find half a dozen pairs of eyes fixed on me as the door closes behind me.
Is there something on my face?
“Good afternoon,” I say, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear as my stomach squeezes with nerves, but nobody says anything, until a lowthumpfinally breaks the quiet.
“Oh, stop being so nosy and don’t stare at the poor girl!” Mrs. Miller chastises, glaring at the room. She makes a shooing motion as she clacks her tongue. “Off with you, busybodies.”
“I swear, people these days.” Mrs. Tyson shakes her head in agreement. “Come here, my darling. Just ignore them, hopefully they find something better to do.” She glares at them as she waves me over, so I join them at the counter, where Becky just placed their orders in front of them.
“What are you doing here?” she asks, crossing her arms over her chest.
“Umm…” My brows furrow in confusion. “I came for my shift?”
“Why? You should have stayed home. After everything that has happened these past few days, you deserve a few days off.”
“Oh… Right.” I guess people’s reaction makes much more sense now. “Well, it’s easier if I just focus on something. And if I ask Chase if he’s okay or if he needs something one more time, I fear he might throttle me.”
Rebecca chuckles softly. “That does sound like my brother. I’ve been texting him, but he’s been ignoring me.”
“Oh, he took Kyle and the two of them went to pick up the horses. I asked him to take a few days, at least until the doctor took out his stitches, but he insisted he’s fine.”
“Men,” Mrs. Miller scoffs. “Always acting all tough. It’s good that you’re keeping your eye on him.”
“That’s so true, Tillie.” Mrs. Tyson pats me softly on the arm, all serious now. “We heard what happened. What he did was so brave, not that I’m surprised. That boy always had a good heart.”
The corner of my mouth curls up. “He really does.”
“You found yourself a good one, Rose.” Mrs. Miller nods. “Not like John. I hate talking badly about the dead, God rest his soul, but that boy was troubled. What he did the other night was so wrong.”
“How is that sweet boy of yours doing after everything that happened?” Mrs. Tyson asks gently.
“He’s… processing.”
In reality, Kyle didn’t show any reaction. He isn’t sad, and he doesn’t have any questions. John might have been his father biologically, but for all intents and purposes, to Kyle, he was a stranger. I tried to explain to him what would happen, and asked if he wanted to go to John’s funeral, but he only asked me if he had to. I didn’t want to force him to go, but on the other hand, I didn’t want him to have any regrets either.
“That’s understandable.” Mrs. Miller gives my hand a squeeze. “Just be there for him if he needs you.”
“Yeah, that’s something I can easily do.”
The two of them leave the café shortly after, and I join Rebecca behind the counter, happy with the distraction. There is no avoiding the curious looks; they’re better than the pitying ones, at least.
An hour into my shift, Jessica enters the café dressed in her scrubs, a phone to her ear. “I don’t have time for this.”
