CH.95

"Wake up, sleepyhead. It's already 3 o'clock in the afternoon," a warm, familiar voice gently roused me from my slumber.

I blinked my eyes open to find Rosie sitting on the edge of the bed with her hand tenderly stroking my hair.

"Rosie!" I exclaimed groggily, still trying to shake off the lingering fog of sleep.

She gave me a sad little smile. "My beautiful girl, I'm so sorry I wasn't there by your side during your whole ordeal earlier," Rosie said as she reached out to delicately wipe away a stray hair from my face.

I shook my head, trying to brush it off. "It's okay, Rosie, really. There was nothing you could have done anyway since I didn't tell you anything about it. S0, don't be sorry."

"Lavinia..." Rosie's eyes shone with concern and just the faintest hint of hurt. "Why didn't you tell me what was going on? I thought we were best friends. Didn't we promise each other not to keep secrets?"

A tightness formed in my chest as the painful memories and swirl of emotions threatened to