23

♦𝕭𝖑𝖆𝖐𝖊♦

"Fuck off." I grumble into my pillow.

I'll be the first to admit that I'm being pathetic, but Rose hasn't talked to me in what feels like forever and I can't figure out why.

She texted me saying she was ok but needed a break from everything so she won't be answering her phone. I feel like I did something to upset her but I can't for the life of me figure it out.

"No. Get out here and hang out with us." Isaiah shouts through the door. "I miss her too, you know." He adds quietly.

We've all been off since she texted me that day. Everyone has tried to contact her, but her phone must be turned off, it goes straight to voicemail.

I called Bob and he informed me they can't get ahold of her either, he also let me know they moved. She loved those kids like crazy, she's probably broken-hearted that they left, and I can't even get a hold of her to make sure she's ok.

"What did I do, Isaiah?" I question, sorrow dripping from my voice like the pathetic loser I am.

"Nothing. She probably just needs time alone right now." His voice is muffled by the door, so I get up and open it.

"It's been weeks though." I point out miserably.

Who would have thought that the girl I trapped on Isaiah's mom's roof would have me wrapped around her finger in just a few months? Only a few weeks without her had me moping around like a sad puppy, it's pathetic, but I can't seem to care.

All I can think about is her, and if she's ok, or what I could have done to make her disappear like that.

"I know man. Come on, we never celebrated last night. You shouldn't be so down after a fight." I can smell Chinese food lingering in the air from when he brought it over last night.

I had a fight last night, I won, but nothing feels right anymore. So I just went straight to bed instead of celebrating with the guys. I mozy my way to the kitchen and take a seat at a stool.

Ace slid a plate of leftovers to me. I nod appreciatively towards him.

"What would make you feel less miserable?" Isaiah asks.

"Rose." I mumble.

"Ok." He walks out of the room for a second, leaving me confused as to why. That is until he comes back and slides a rose across the island to me.

Shithead. "Not what I meant." I scoff, but a small smile breaks it's way onto my face.

Man, I'm really lucky to have friends like them. Even if they get on my nerves, they're always there for me when I need them.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. Just eat your food so we can go do something." They have been trying to get me out of the house these last few weeks, to keep me busy so my mind is taken off of Rose.

But everywhere we go my eyes constantly search for her, hoping that I'll see her shopping at a supermarket or eating at a restaurant.

I just want a chance to talk to her, but she took that possibility away when she shut her phone off.

"We could go paintballing today. That new place on the outskirts of town opened up last week." Ace suggests.

And I'm not exactly opposed to a friendly game of gunfire at the moment so I agree. I finished eating and we got ready to head out right afterwards. As I was pulling a clean shirt over my head I heard Isaiah yell across the apartment.

"Hey! Someone slid an envelope under your door!" What the fuck?

I yank my bedroom door open and walk down the hallway. Isaiah and Ace are standing by the front door with a large yellow envelope at their feet.

"When?" I ask as I pick it up.

"I don't know. I came over to get my shoes and it was laying there." Isaiah eyes the envelope in my hands questionably.

There's no reason for someone to leave an envelope here, the mailboxes are down by the office.

"Maybe it's from those Jehovah's Witnesses guys. You slammed the door in their face last time." Ace grins.

I did, they woke me up and I wasn't in the best mood.

I turn the envelope over and the words scribbled on the back scare me stiff.

You don't take very good care of your girl. It would be unfortunate if something happened to her. Watch yourself, Sullivan. I'll play dirty to win.

I rip the envelope open and pull about a picture. The picture is of a run down building, but then my eyes zero in on the figure sleeping in the middle of the room, and it feels like my whole world collapses around me.

Rose lays covered in a blanket, sleeping on the dirty floor of a worn down room, you can see holes in the ceiling that lead all the way outside.

The sun shines onto her face, making it clear as day that it's her.

If that son of a bitch touched her, I'll make sure he pays with his life.

"What is it?" Isaiah asks as he looks over my shoulder. "Holy shit.. is that Rose!?" He gasps out.

I nod my head, speechless. When I woke up this morning wanting to see her, this isn't what I meant.

Why the hell is she sleeping there anyway?

"Isaiah, did she ever tell you she lived in those apartments?" I question. I try to remember every conversation we had, but I can't remember one where she actually said she lived there.

"No." His eyes furrow as he thinks. "You don't think she's homeless, do you?" He grabs the photo from my hand and examines it closer.

"I fucking hope not. Goddammit." My fingers claw into my scalp.

"It's not looking good." Ace speaks, his voice saturated in regret. "She didn't have a phone, she wore the same thing all the time and that one night her car broke down she said she slept on the streets." He adds.

"But she said that was just because she forgot her house key." I say. My stomach twists, I feel like I'm about to puke up all the food I just ate. Has she been all alone this whole time? Why didn't she come to me? I told her I would help.

"No, she said she didn't have one. We took it as she forgot it, but maybe she never had one." He grumbles.

"Fucking hell!" I yell, slamming my fist into the wall.

"We need to find her." Isaiah says calmly. I grind my jaw, like I don't already fucking know that.

"And how do you suggest that?" I take a deep breath. There isn't an address on the picture, and her phone is still shut off. So how exactly am I supposed to find her?

"I know this place, I went to a party there once. It was a long time ago, but I know the general area." He speaks frantically, pointing to the picture.

"Let's go then!" Ace throws me my keys and we run out the door.

"Who sent you the picture?" Ace asks as we pull off onto the street.

"Fucking Conway did." I grit out.

Isaiah's head shoots between the seats from the back. "Conway? The asshole who cornered me outside the fight and threatened to invert my ribcage?" He gasps.

"When the fuck did that happen?" Ace turns in his seat to glare at the both of us.

"At the beginning of the year."

"Why didn't I know?"

"You were on vacation." Isaiah mocks. He's still bitter he didn't get to go because he was in college.

"So?"

"It didn't matter. Blake decked him, and that was the end of it. Or at least I thought it was." He mumbles, leaning back into his seat.

"Do you think he hurt her after he took the picture?" Isaiah's words are something I was trying not to think about.

"I'll kill him if he did." The car falls into a deadly silence. I count the seconds in my mind as I drive, trying to keep calm.

It's hard when pictures of Rose bleeding on the ground flash behind my eyes.

Kyle could have done anything to her, she was sleeping when he took that picture, and from what I could gather there was no way out other than the door he was blocking. My fingers tap the steering wheel, nerves build stronger with each street we pass.

"Turn here." Isaiah points to the right. "I think it's somewhere on this street." I turn, but it doesn't look right, none of these houses are worn down or abandoned.

"Right there!" Isaiah yells, his hand slaps my shoulder repeatedly.

If I wasn't so focused on getting to Rose, I would turn around and deck him. I swerved the car to the side of the road and put it in park.

All three of us jump out and Isaiah leads the way. We push through some bushes and into a trash filled alleyway, I would have never guessed this would be hidden in a nice neighborhood.

"Just up ahead." He mumbles, tripping over a bag of trash. Each step I take my heart beats faster, and my breathing picks up.

"In here." Isaiah points to a broken window. I take a few deep breaths, after I go through that window it could change me forever. Rose could be hurt, or dead, she could be ok, or maybe she's not here at all.

I step through first, the guys right after me. "The room is upstairs." Isaiah informed. I walk up the steps, fists clenched.

Goddammit, once I set sight on her, I might never let her out of arm's reach again. I can't keep doing this shit, every time she doesn't pick up her phone or I haven't seen her for a day, I feel like a weight is crushing me, it drives me crazy.

I walk into the room, and that weight is gone.

There she is, sleeping in the same position she was in the picture, light streams in from the ceiling shining brightly on her face. She looks like an angel sleeping in a wasteland.

The floor squeaks, Rose moves around, slowly waking up. "Ollie?" Her heavenly morning voice squeaks out. Her small hands attempt to rub the sleep out of her eyes.

Also, who the fuck is Ollie?

Her hands fall away from her eyes and land on the three brooding men standing just inside the room. She jumps back, slamming her back against the wall.

"Blake?" She breathes out, eyes squinted in disbelief. I can't figure out whether to be happy that she's okay, or pissed that she didn't tell me she's living like this and didn't reach out to me for help.

So I settle on a little of both. "What the fuck are you doing sleeping here? Also, goodmorning I'm glad you're okay."

Her head tilts to the side slightly with her brows creased. She opens her mouth to speak, but before any words can come out a cat jumps from the ceiling and into her lap.

I watch awestruck as a smile makes its presence on her lips, I can assume the two of them know each other well from the way they greet one another.

The greeting is short lived as the cat turns around and walks towards us, coming to say hi to us as well. Or so I thought, until it hissed at me. I jump back slightly bumping into Ace, Isaiah lets out a frightened squeal.

Rose laughs from her spot on the floor. "You're in his way, he wants to leave." She giggles.

I step out of the way and the cat walks out of the room, but stops at the top of the stairs.

"Bye! Have a good day Ollie!" Rose cups her mouth and yells out.

Ollie lets out a few large meows and walks down the stairs. I blink a few times, trying to comprehend what I just witnessed.

Did that cat just say bye?

Ollie... that was who she thought I was at first? She thought I was a cat? And I got freaking jealous when she mumbled out his name. For fucks sake, I was just jealous of a cat. A very well mannered cat, but a cat nonetheless.

"What the hell? Is she like Snow-white or something?" Isaiah mumbles lowly.

"How... how did you guys find me?" Rose asks.

When she tries to stand up her foot gets caught in the blanket, she falls to the floor but recovers quickly and stands up with a slight blush on her face.

Huh.. cute.

She looks at us expectantly, I'm not sure how to do this. One thing I know for sure is if Kyle is watching this place, I want her out of here.

"Pack your stuff, we'll talk at my place." She doesn't argue, which surprises me. I guess she's still waking up because she packs her bag silently and walks over to me.

I can see the sleepiness clouding her eyes as she yawns. I grab the bag for her and lead her out of the building and back to my car.

The ride to my place was silent, I saw Rose nodding off a few times, but she never fully fell asleep.

She sleepily walked up to my floor, refused to use the elevator too, so we had to take the stairs. Ace and Isaiah went home, they wanted to give me some time to talk to Rose alone.

"Do you want to talk? Or do you need to go to sleep?" I question as I throw her bag on my couch.

"I'm fine. I don't need any more sleep." She can be so stubborn sometimes.

"You look exhausted." Her eyes have bags under them and she keeps yawning. "I'm fine, really. I just didn't go to sleep till sunrise." She shrugs, taking a seat beside her bag.

"Sunrise was two hours ago." My voice is a low grumble as I pinch the bridge of my nose.

She got two hours of sleep max, and she's trying to convince me that's enough? How many nights has she gone without the appropriate amount of sleep?

"I can function off that." She's determined to make me believe everything's ok.

I know enough about her to know she doesn't like it when other people know she's struggling. It makes it nearly impossible to help her, and that drives me insane.

I want to scold her for it, I want to make her understand that it's not ok and make her take a nap. But I have other questions I need to ask first, I'll make sure she gets rest later.

"Why were you there, Rose?" I'm desperately hoping it's not because she has nowhere to go. But what else could it be? Her head drops and a silent curse leaves my mouth.

For fucks sake, I know we haven't known each other for a long time. But I thought she viewed me as more than an acquaintance, I thought she saw me as a friend. A friend that would help her when she needed it, but she doesn't trust me at all.

I try to bury the torture that it caused me, I need to focus on how to get her to stay here with me. With Kyle threatening her, there's no way I can let her go back to living on the streets like that.

"I don't have anything anymore. I lost it all." The whimper that leaves her mouth sends needles into my heart. Her head is still pointed towards the ground, but I can see her body shaking slightly.

She's probably crying and I don't fucking know what to do.

"What do you mean?" I beg her to continue, dropping to my knees in front of her so I'm not towering over her quivering form on the couch.

My hands reach out and hover over her hands resting on her knees, but I pull them back before I can touch her.

"I don't have anything anymore." She shrugs, wiping her eyes with the back of her wrist.

"Did you live there?" I ask, she's not going to tell me with her own words. But yes and no questions are so much easier to answer than speaking the whole story when it's uncomfortable for you.

"Yeah." She sniffles out. I can tell she's trying to compose herself so she doesn't seem weak, but what she doesn't understand is I would never see her that way.

"How long?"

"Since Jack broke." She whispers.

Gosh, the heart attack I had when she talked about Jack before I figured out it was the car, not even funny. I never said anything to her, because it was none of my business. But when she would talk about going places with Jack, or how she was worried about him... not going to lie it made me jealous.

Then I found out it was her car and I felt like a dumbass.

"What happened to the apartments we would pick you up at?" I'm pretty sure I know the answer but I need to hear it from her.

"I didn't live there, but I stayed in the parking lot next to it sometimes." She admits, pulling her knees to her chest she wraps her arms around them and pulls tight.

"The parking lot? Fuck, Rose, you were living in your car?" I sputter the words, how could I have missed something like that? Her tangled head of brown hair nods.

"How long?" I suck in a breath, scared of the answer.

"Years." She mumbles. My lungs burn as I let out the breath.

"You're staying here from now on." Her head snaps up, her red rimmed eyes look up at me in shock.

"No! I could never do that! Besides, you only have one room!" The words spew out of her mouth like me wanting her to be here, to be safe, is outrageous. Then I remember she doesn't even know that her being involved with me is putting her in danger. So I hold out the envelope and picture to her, her eyes narrow as she examines the words.

"Look, I'm really sorry about all this. But another fighter wants to take the championship from me this year, and it looks like he's willing to hurt you to do that." I grit out.

Fucking Conway, it angers me to no end that he figured out she was homeless before I did. Her wide eyes meet mine, she opens her mouth to protest but I beat her to it.

"We're friends right?" She's more than a friend to me, she's like my fucking life line. But I think saying something like that would have the opposite effect of what I want.

Her head nods slowly, the site of her bedhead in my house does something to me. "Then I'm asking you as one friend to another. Please stay here, I need to know that he can't touch you." I plead.

I wouldn't be able to handle the worry of her out there alone on any day, and now that Kyle is out to get me... I wouldn't be able to sleep knowing she's unprotected.

If anything happens to her because of me, I'll never forgive myself.

I can see how hesitant she is to agree, maybe her moving in with me would make her uncomfortable. "If you aren't comfortable here, I could see if Olivia would be ok with you staying there?"

I would feel better if she was with me, but if she isn't comfortable with that she would be safer staying at Olivia's than being back on the streets.

"No!" Her voice squeaks. "I don't want her to know..." She drawls out.

Olivia would never judge her because of this, but I understand Rose wanting to keep it a secret anyway.

"Then stay here. It's not safe out there." I sigh.

"It's never safe." Is her reply.

I feel my body temperature rise, like I don't already know that? That's why I need you here, and off the fucking streets. I calm myself, directing anger towards her won't get her to stay.

"Exactly. So stay here."

"I'll be fine."

"You can't guarantee that!" My voice raises.

"You can't guarantee my safety either!"

"I sure as fuck can. But only if you're with me, I can't do shit if I'm not with you!" We're fighting, but not yelling. Both of us are trying to keep our cool, but about ready to lose it.

"I don't want you to get hurt because of me." Her voice loses all harshness.

"What?" This isn't about my safety, it's about hers.

"Did you not hear what I said? Conway is after you because of me." It's sweet that she would be concerned about me at all, but also absolutely ridiculous, if anyone deserves to be hurt it's me for getting her into this situation.

"I know, but if he can't get to me that might make him mad." She tries to reason, but it doesn't make any fucking sense because him getting to her is about the worst thing he could do to me.

"Look at me." I grumble. Her eyes flicker up to me full of worry.

"You matter to me, so if he hurts you, he automatically hurts me. So let me protect you." My voice is hard, I need her to understand that I'm serious. God, I can't even begin to think about what I'd do if he got his hand on her.

Her eyes start to glisten with tears but she quickly blinks them away. "Ok. I'll stay here if I won't be a bother to you." She finally agrees.