Rose

As I gazed at my promise ring on my finger, I wondered how it was possible for to actually have someone in my life who wanted me.

I was happy. I was finally happy with someone who understood me and I knew was never going to let me down.

I was at peace. I was finally at peace knowing that whatever came my way I could fight it off. I was finally free.

I felt so much better after that day with Cristiano. A weight had been lifted off my shoulders and I no longer had to carry so many burdens. I was at rest. I felt good - it was nice to feel good with myself.

I was with someone.

I was dating Cristiano - I was his girlfriend and he was my boyfriend. It was crazy to me how it was even possible that we were together. I felt so much better with him. I wanted to be with him and I wanted our relationship to grow.

I even started to have dreams about our future. I no longer had nightmares or weird dreams, they were always good.

And the best thing was being able to wake up in his arms with his sweet kisses. I loved it.

I smiled happily as he continued to leave little kisses on my shoulder, my eyes still on my ring.

"-are we gonna tell the guys? I can't wait to show you off to the world." I chuckled softly, feeling comfy in his warm embrace. He left a kiss on my jaw, going back to my neck.

"Maybe when Gage gets back," I replied, sighing softly in peace. "It's better to tell all of them together. You can do it."

"Me?" He repeated in disbelief, his voice muffled in my neck. "Both of us."

I shook my head, turning so I was facing him. "No, I'm too shy. You do it." He rolled his eyes, a playful smile on his handsome face.

"You know you owe me head."

"Head? Well, then you do too."

"Oh, really?" He asked in disbelief, leaning in a little closer.

"Yes, really," I replied with a playful smile, my leg moving to his body and he pulled me closer, his hand resting on my butt. He slapped it gently.

"Is this real?"

I rolled my eyes, giving him a sarcastic look. "Ha. Ha. Funny, Cristiano. Of course it's real. I'd never do surgery."

"Hmm. . ."

I rolled my eyes again, chuckling as I hit him with a pillow. "Shut up."

My phone started to ring and I reached over, about to grab it until Cris pulled me back. "No, baby."

I groaned, rolling my eyes as I squirmed around. "Stop, Cris! I need to get my phone! No one calls me so this must be important."

"Ha! Loser!"

"Shut up! Babe, let me go!" I impatiently asked, trying my hardest to reach my ringing phone.

"Say the word."

"Oh, for goodness' sake! I am not saying - let me go!"

"Say it, Rose," he taunted in a singsong tone. I groaned, continuing to reach for my phone that was going to stop ringing at any moment.

"Say it, Rosalia."

I grabbed my phone, quickly answering before it stopped. Breathlessly, I greeted, "Hello!"

Ha!

I glared down at Cris who lifted my shirt and started sucking and kissing my stomach. I rolled my eyes, sighing silently.

"Hello? Is this Rosalia?"

"Uh, yeah. . .who's on the phone?" I asked cautiously, earning a curious look from Cris.

"C'est Maya." {it's Maya}

"Oh! Maya! Bonjour, comment avez-vous eu mon numéro? Oh comment vas tu?" I asked in shock, my voice completely changing. {Oh! Maya! Hi, how did you get my number? Oh, how are you?}.

"I'm fine, Rose. Disons juste, il a fallu un certain temps pour vous trouver," she chuckled, her voice bringing back memories. {let's just say, it took a while to find you}.

Cristiano's head rose and he looked at me in utter confusion. His jaw dropped.

"What's up? Are you still living in France?" I asked, smiling a little at the thought of my childhood friend.

"Oui, mais j'ai déménagé à Paris," she responded, chuckling softly. {yes, but I moved to Paris}. "j'aimerais rattraper mais j'ai bientôt un rendez-vous pour une échographie, donc je n'ai pas beaucoup de temps." {I would love to catch up but I have an ultrasound appointment soon, so I don't have much time}.

"Tu es enceinte?" I exclaimed in surprise, a wide smile growing on my face. {you're pregnant!}.

"Oui, three months," she responded and I was sure she was smiling.

"Oh, congratulations! I'm so happy for you!" I gasped suddenly as Cris poked my side, causing me to let out a small squeal at the tickle.

"Désolé, mon copain m'a chatouillé," I told her, rolling my eyes at Cris who went to kiss my hand as I sat up. {sorry, my boyfriend tickled me}. I couldn't help but smile at him; the man was something else.

"It's okay," Maya responded, chuckling a little. "I was actually calling to ask you something."

"That's fine, what's up?" I asked, curious to know.

"Juliet."

I closed my eyes, tensing up at Cris's bite on my nipple. I pushed him away, giving him a 'I'm not in the mood' look. He looked me in wonder, his eyes filled with concern. I pulled my shirt down.

I swallowed roughly at the sound of her name. "Á propos d'elle?" {what about her?} I questioned, my voice no longer sweet.

"C'est bientôt son anniversaire et elle a eu une année si difficile alors je me suis dit. ." {it's her birthday soon and she's had such a rocky year so I thought. .} Maya trailed off, her voice hesitant.

"I've had a rocky childhood," I replied bitterly at the thought of her. "When was she there for my birthdays? You know, the ones I spent alone, cold and upset? The ones where no one cared enough just to say a little 'happy birthday'? Where I spent my sweet sixteen, giving a man head instead of blowing out my candles at a party. When was she there, Maya? I can't. I'm sorry but I can't. You should go to your ultrasound then find someone else to cheer her a happy birthday because I can't. It hurts too much."

Then I hung up, not wanting to hear anything else. I tossed my phone to the other side of the bed and sighed running my hand through my hair. I closed my eyes for a moment, exhaling slowly as I tried to forget all the painful memories.

"Baby?"

I looked over at him, my hand in his. He kissed it softly, meeting my eyes.

"I think I'm gonna make some bacon - do you want bacon? I've been craving bacon for ages," I brightly bubbled out, about to leave the bed until he pulled me back, shaking his head.

"Rose, don't push it away and bottle it up. You can trust me." Cris's warm eyes met mine and he gave me and encouraging, sweet smile. I licked my lips, my face softened as I gazed into his eyes, sighing softly.

I gave in. "Juliet is my older sister."

"Wow," Cristiano said in surprise, intrigued, "there's two of you?"

I rolled my eyes. "She was always the prettier one."

"Well then we might have to break up cause-"

I gave him a playful slap on the back of his head. "Idiot." He chuckled, his beautiful eyes twinkling. "So,
what's wrong, Rose?"

"Well," I began, "this is gonna be a long ass story."

"I got time."

I sat comfortably, my back against the headboard and he wrapped his arms around me, resting his head on my lap. My hands went to his hair and I played around with it.

Sighing, I started, "so, my mother loved gardening, hence why I'm called Rose and she's called Juliet. My mother's French and my dad was Italian."

"Was?" Cristiano softly asked.

"Is, I think," I corrected, rolling my eyes at the thought of him. "Dead to me though. Anyway, I speak English, French, Italian and a little of Spanish. Growing up, I lived in a happy family until I was about eight and from there, my parents started to argue. This went on until I was ten and at that point, my dad was into heavy illegal stuff, smuggling, trafficking, drugs."

I continued, "then he started hitting my mom." My voice croaked unexpectedly at the memory.

Cris tensed up on my lap and I cleared my throat, holding back the tears. "I remember the first slap. . .she was so scared," I whispered, remembering the painful memories. "Me and my sister would have to hide in the closet every time. I used to cry and my sister would hold me and sing me songs louder than all the yelling so I wouldn't be so upset. . ."

"It got worse a-and he tried to come for us but my mother wouldn't let him. She took the hits for us. We'd lock the closet and stay in there for hours hearing her scream." I shook my head, sighing. I squeezed my eyes closed for a moment, exhaling to calm myself.

"She would end up in hospital sometimes and he wouldn't let her tell the truth to the doctors." My fingers ran through Cris's soft hair, rubbing his scalp gently. I was giving the man a massage while talking about my troubled childhood.

"She went from happy to emotionally damaged. We tried to run away once while he was out but he caught us. That's when he really messed her up and then we had to go in that horrible closet again. But the light in there broke so we were in the dark and I got so scared. When we left in the morning, she wasn't there. He got someone to take her away and I don't know what happened to her. I don't know if my mother is dead or alive. She could be anywhere."

Tears ran down my cheeks and I wiped them away quickly. I didn't cry.

"Then it was just me and my sister. She was the beautiful one and. . .he got really drunk and took it out on her because she looked like an exact replica of my mother. I look like her too but not as much as her. Then it was me, alone in the closet. I couldn't save her and she always told me to go in there. She didn't want me to save her. She wanted to protect me."

"One night, I went out to save her but it was a bad idea because then I got hit and then it was both of us, every night. When I was a teen, I stabbed him to save my sister. He ended up fine and as a consequence, he got someone to rape her but I didn't let it happen. I stabbed him too. Then we tried to run but it didn't work."

"Then we tried to plan out our escape. It was all set up and we knew where we were going. But I woke up that day and my sister was packing stuff. She had that she was going to go first then come back for me. She had to figure out where we were gonna go. She said she would come back for me," I tearfully told Cristiano, sniffing as I remembered how I felt.

"She said she was come back and she didn't, Cris! She didn't come back! I waited for weeks, months and I kept getting beaten and it got worse and worse! She didn't come back for me!"

"His friends would come and touch me, grope me, hit me. I tried to run and it never worked." I exhaled loudly, wiping my wet cheeks again. "They never had sex with me though. I was lucky. I was finally free when I had a gun in my hand, threatening him and making him let me go. Then I left, moved away, studied and got myself a job in a coffee store. I gave myself a new life. Obviously things when wrong again because of Alejandro but I met you, and that's the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"So no," I concluded, licking my lips as I swallowed the lump in my throat. "I won't be seeing her. That's my messed up life story."

He sat up, looking at me, his eyes dark and filled with an indescribable emotion. He moved my hair away from my face and wiped my cheeks, his eyes gazing into mine. "If you've told me all of that, mia cara, it's only fair if I tell you why I don't have brothers anymore."

"You don't have to-" I began, my face softening but he shook his head, caressing my cheek. "You're a strong, woman, Rose. A bad bish, don't forget it." I smiled at him before leaning in and pecking his lips.

"Alright, well," Cris said, clearing his throat. "I am an asshole because I, the idiot I am, was a leak and I shared all of the mafia's secrets to this woman I loved who was part of an enemy's gang. I thought we were legit so I told her every fucking thing and it turned out that she was telling all of her gang what I was saying. Then, I stole millions from the mafia and wasted it on drugs, women and money, oh, and I also almost killed my brother by giving him the wrong orders in a meeting."

"There were little things leading up to it and I slept with one of my brother's girlfriend who he was going to marry. Let's just say that I basically ruined everything and there is no chance of me ever seeing them again."

"Wow," I blankly said to him. "Ass."

"Thank you, I deserve that."

"Look, my upbringing hasn't been good either," Cristiano said, his eyes seriously gazing into mine. "My father was abusive too and life wasn't easy living in the mafia. I guess you could say that we have something in common."

I smiled at him and he kissed my hand, sighing softly. "But I do think you need to speak to your sister, do you know where she is?"

I nodded, rolling my eyes. "She lives in Paris, France was the last I heard. People tried to tell me where she was and how she was doing but I didn't care and I don't. Seems to be living her best life."

"You don't know the full story, Rose," Cristiano softly told me, giving me a warm smile. "You have to talk to her."

I sighed. "I will."

He looked at me in surprise that I accepted so quickly.

"If you speak to your brothers."

"Deal," Cristiano replied, smiling at me.

"Deal," I responded, shaking his hand.

"Just so you know," Cris began, giving me a playful look. "You sound super sexy when you speak French, Rose."

I bursted out laughing.

_________

Anyone else speak Français?

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