Nurse Rose a montasia

"Good morning, peasant I mean, patient! ...Ugh, boss!"

I plopped the files onto Vincent's coffee table, my mouth embarrassing me at exactly 8AM.

"Let me fix your mountain of unfinished work real quick! Honestly, why do I have to take care of you? Aren't you, like, the richest man alive?"

He cracked one eye open from the couch, smirking like he owned the world and me along with it.

"Because you're so good at it."

Oh please. He just wants free labor.

Here I was, cross-legged on his living room floor, buried in his laptops plural, because apparently one is never enough for Mr. LeClair.

Meanwhile, he lay resting right beside me, bandaged up and looking annoyingly handsome for a sick man.

"Boss, do you want me to sign all these files for you? You know how many there are?!"

He chuckled, voice low and lazy. "Now you know being a boss isn't easy."

Yeah, right. Lucky him, the doctor said he can't stare at screens too long so guess who became his eyes and fingers? Exactly. Me. His unpaid secretary-slash-nurse-slash-coffee-runner.

While I typed furiously, he leaned in. Too close. So close I felt his breath on my shoulder.

Okay, panic mode activated. My neck was probably hotter than his laptop battery by now.

"How's my work coming along?"

"Hmm... I just don't know how to save this file under whose name..."

His hand hovered over mine on the mouse.

"Here, I'll help you out with this one."

Click. Saved.

Great. But why is his face still there? Hovering. Watching me.

Then, out of nowhere

"Rose... you smell good."

"W-WHAT?!"

I jerked up so fast my head smacked his.

"OW!"

"EEK! I'm sorry! I'm sorry, boss!"

We both burst out laughing. For a second, it felt so stupidly warm.

Then he looked at me softer than I'd ever seen him.

"Thank you Rose. You can go back to work now. I'll see you when I get better."

I smiled, hugging the laptop to my chest.

"Don't die on me, boss. I still need you yelling at everyone at the office."

Why did it feel so heavy to leave him like this?

The way his eyes linger on mine. His golden eyes.

Ugh. Snap out of it, Rose.

"Goodbye, boss..."

I stepped out of Vincent's apartment, my heart annoyingly warm and heavy.

I swear, if I ever catch feelings for that man, I'll sue myself.

My phone buzzed just as the elevator doors closed.

Lucas Calling...

Oh, perfect. Chaos never sleeps.

I hesitated. Answer or ignore?

But my thumb pressed accept. Without asking for permission.

"Hello...?" I said, softer than I meant to.

Silence for a second. Then his voice low, strained, all jagged edges.

"Rose. Where are you?"

"Where am I? Why?"

I tried to sound casual, but my heart flipped because why does he sound like that?

"Are you... with him?"

Oh. So he knows.

"I just left Vincent's place, if that's what you mean," I shot back, a bit too defensive.

"Are you taking care of him?"

"What does it matter to you, Lucas?"

Silence. Then a sigh that almost made me forgive him almost.

"Can you come meet me? Please?"

I staring at the ceiling like it might drop an answer.

"Lucas... I don't have the energy to fight with you today. I'm tired."

"I'm not calling to fight. I just... I want to see you. Rose, please."

There it was the old Lucas. The one who could break me with one word.

"...Fine. Where?" I caved. Yup! I know...

I'am dinging my own grave, Because I'm stupid, 

Soft girl who can't say no to broken boys.

"The park behind the school. Just you. No Zera. No Larry."

"Okay."

Click. Call ended.

I stared at my reflection in the elevator mirror.

One heart, two hands and tonight, they were both pulling me apart.

Why are you let yourself into this mess Rose?

I asked myself.

Later, at the park...

There he was. Still wearing his uniform, hair messy, shoulders slumped like the world had punched him in the chest.

"A-are you skipping class again?"

He turned around.

Eyes full of regret and something that looked a lot like guilt.

"Rose! I can explain everything."

I crossed my arms, my heart bracing for impact.

"Then tell me. Why did you kiss Sienna?"

He pulled out his phone. Showed me the photo. The photo. 

The stupid one he used to blackmail me.

"This picture... she took it. I begged her to delete it. But her price was me. 

To kiss her whenever she wanted. To do whatever she said."

My eyes widened. No way...

"One day before your internship," he continued, voice cracking, "She said,

'Lucas, I don't want Rose to win this tournament.' I said no. I refused. 

She threatened me with more photos. She laughed she knew I'd do anything to protect you."

I staggered back.

"So all this time... you were protecting me?..."

"Rose, please..." He stepped closer, grabbed my cheek like he needed them to breathe.

"Give me one more chance. Let me fix this. Let me prove it to you, that.

I wasn't lie. I truly love you"

My eyes blurred with stupid, stupid tears.

Why am I crying for him?

Why does my heart ache for both of them?

"Rose..." His voice dropped to that soft, broken whisper only he could make.

"Are you... with Vincent now?"

That question hit harder than Sienna's blackmail.

"I... I... I don't know..."

Lucas leaned in. Too close. And I let him.

I let him kiss me soft, desperate, pleading. 

Why do I always let him?

Why do I always break when it comes to Lucas?

But then Vincent's smile flickered in my mind.

His warmth. His laugh. His trust.

My stupid heart. What does it want?

Agh! Just leave me alone, you two!