Chapter Seven - Don't Get Hurt

Rose yelled angrily, her voice muffled by the cushion in her face. She was suffering from this lack of connection, and Max seemed unaffected by her efforts.

She slammed her fists down on her mattress, furious tears streaming down her cheeks. Why was she always like this. Why did this feel so right when it was so, so wrong. They're both women, they can't fall for each other. Falling for each other? More like she was falling for Max.

She didn't seem to give a damn. Rose had tried everything to keep herself from getting hurt again, but all she managed to do was make the wounds deeper. She had to get herself together. This screwed up fairy-tale that was her life was just getting worse by the minute.

It was as if the cosmos were pitted against her, bent on making her miserable.

She was filled with excitement from the very first moment she saw her. She couldn't suppress her feelings. It was near impossible to do when her personal chambermaid was the woman she wanted to be with.

She wanted her. She needed her. She needed to be with Max. To become hers in every way.

"Dammit." She swore. "I can't go around falling in love with another woman."

She buried her face in her hands. Why was this happening to her?

Every moment that ticked by was a painstakingly slow, lonely second she spent riddled with doubts. She didn't want to get hurt, but it hurt more to be without her.

Being alone was her greatest fear, besides thunderstorms, but that was another story.

She hated the gaping void of loneliness that opened up to swallow her whole. She shuddered, hugging herself tightly as she flopped over onto her pillows.

She groaned. Why was this so hard?

Turning over in her bed, she bawled into her pillows before passing out from exhaustion.

And she dreamt of Max.

...

//Rose woke up, wrapped in the strong arms of the woman beside her. The pair had spent the night talking, laughing, snuggling beneath the covers. Looking up, she gazed into the paralyzing eyes of Max Thorne. She placed a hand on her cheek, kissing her.

'Good morning darling' Max murmured softly.

Rose smiled. As she opened her mouth to speak, she felt a sinking feeling at the bottom of her stomach.

As she watched, Max began to disintegrate before her very eyes. The room began to fall apart as the two were thrown into an endless abyss. She reached out to take hold of Max's hand, but the woman pulled away.

'You did this. You pushed me away' She snarled.

And then the world went black.//

'No! I didn't mean to!' She cried out.

'Didn't mean to what, my lady?' A familiar voice called out to her.

'M-Max! What do you want?' She whirled on her.

Max visibly flinched. Why was she like this? Why couldn't she say how she felt? Why was she so afraid of getting hurt?

'I was told to fetch you. You have dinner in twelve minutes.' She muttered bitterly.

'Max wait-' She said softly. But the woman was already closing the door behind her.

She didn't want to get hurt, but she never meant to hurt her, either.