Rose's Pov:Rose... get up! Time for school!" Mum’s voice shattered the quiet, her call ringing through the hallway like a bell, demanding my attention. The same words she had said every morning for as long as I could remember. The same words that were supposed to get me out of bed, to face the world, to keep moving forward, even when the weight of the past tried to drag me back into the darkness.But today was different. Today, my mind was a battlefield. My heart was a battlefield. And I wanted nothing more than to sink back into the sheets and pull the covers over my head, pretending the world didn’t exist.I sighed, loud and dramatic, not caring if she heard. The day had arrived—the day that haunted my dreams and my waking hours alike. My father’s anniversary. The day he was supposed to be here, still alive, still laughing with me, still driving me crazy with his fatherly advice. And instead, I was left alone with my thoughts, my memories, and an aching heart that wouldn’t let me fo
Rose's Pov:The wind whipped past my face as the engine roared beneath me, but my mind—my mind was a storm. Every mile we cut through the empty streets felt like I was sinking deeper into memories I desperately wanted to escape. Jace. His name echoed in my skull like a warning. Why couldn't he just leave me alone? I had convinced myself back then that I could handle the chaos—his fury, the danger, the darkness of his world—but the man he became, the monster that he let himself turn into, was too much for me. Each time his temper exploded, it was like a fire I couldn't extinguish, and I was burned every single time.I thought I'd found an escape when Kaiden offered me a way out. A chance at freedom. But freedom came at a price—one that bled my heart dry. Kaiden's life. The memory of it haunts me like a shadow that won't go away."Rose, watch out!" Richelle’s voice pierced through the fog of my thoughts, sharp and panicked.My breath hitched. A truck was barreling toward us, the blaring
Rose's Pov:The cold, sterile atmosphere of the detention room seemed to close in on me, but my mind was a storm of chaos. I couldn't shake the image of him—the new guy. There was something in the way he held himself, something too familiar. He was the type of person whose past clung to him like a shadow, one that I knew all too well. It wasn’t just the rough edges or the distant, haunted look in his eyes; it was that feeling in my gut, a primal instinct warning me that something wasn’t right. Was I overreacting? Or was I just still reeling from everything that had happened today?The whisper of Parker's voice echoed in my head—something about a former student returning. Was he talking about Ryder? Was this the guy? The very name made my insides churn. Why couldn’t the past just stay where it belonged? Why did it always find a way to creep back into my present?Before I could spiral further into my own thoughts, I heard the voice of my professor, his tone flat and impersonal."Rose...
Rose's Pov:He leaned in, his eyes scanning me, his gaze slow and deliberate as he bit his lip, an air of dangerous allure surrounding him. "You have no idea what I could do to you right now, do you? It’s taking every ounce of restraint I have not to act on it."His voice was low, laced with a magnetic tension. My pulse quickened despite myself."Well, too bad for you," I retorted, my voice sharp, "I'm not some easy conquest, Ryder."A dark smirk twisted his lips as he leaned back, his eyes glinting with amusement. "And that’s what makes you so irresistible. You don’t fawn over me. You look at me like I’m a puzzle you refuse to solve."I narrowed my eyes at him, suspicion creeping in. "And that turns you on?"His smile deepened, like a predator toying with its prey. "It does. But you don't want me, do you?" The question hung in the air, thick with challenge.I met his gaze head-on, my words cold and venomous. "No, I don’t. So why don't you go talk to someone else who’s willing to do wh
Rose's POV:When I came home after my run-in with Jace, I was petrified, heart pounding in my chest like a drum. I won’t lie—I sprinted inside, searching for my mother, desperate for comfort, for safety. I hadn't slept in her bed since I was eight years old, but that night, it felt like the only place where I could escape the terror of Jace’s eyes. That dark, calculating look he'd given me—the one that said, "This is just the beginning. We’re far from over."I collapsed into her arms, sobbing uncontrollably, unable to stop the flood of emotions that poured out. "I'm so scared, Mom. He... he looked at me like he owns me. Like he’s not going to stop until he has me."The words broke me further, and I cried myself into a restless sleep, nightmares consuming my every dream, twisting the events from the day into something darker, something I couldn’t wake from.The Morning After:The harsh shrill of my alarm yanked me from sleep, my body still groggy and exhausted from the emotional storm o
Rose's Pov:I was fidgeting, There was something I had to say, and the words felt heavy in my mouth. She knew they’d react differently—one of them would definitely disapprove, and the other... well, she wasn’t so sure.“So... I need to tell you something,” Rose started, trying to sound casual, but her nerves betrayed her.Richelle waited. “What’s up? You’re acting all secretive.”Janelle raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, come on, Rose, just spill it.”Taking a deep breath, Rose finally let it out: “Okay, so... the biggest playboy I know... is my stepbrother which is as you know....Ryder and we kissed”Richelle blinked in surprise. “Wait, what? Your stepbrother? You’re telling me your stepbrother is the guy who’s always with that skank Victoria? Ryder him the new guy?”Rose nodded, feeling her face flush. “Yeah. That’s him. I’ve known it since well yesterday"Richelle’s face immediately scrunched in disbelief. “Oh no, Rose. Are you serious? That guy is the last person you should be getting invo
Rose's Pov:As I walked through the bustling streets with Janelle and Richelle, the anticipation for the party grew. We were all on a mission—finding the perfect outfits. Every store we walked into was a whirlwind of colors, textures, and possibilities. But as I moved from one rack to the next, my thoughts wandered, and everything else seemed to fade into the background. My mind couldn’t shake the memory of last night—the conversation with Wayne, the favor I’d asked of him, and everything that followed.The chime of the store bell snapped me out of my trance. I grabbed my phone from my pocket and answered the incoming call. It was Wayne."Hey, Rose," Wayne said, his voice warm but casual, the kind that made me feel at ease despite everything."Hey, Wayne, can you do me a massive favor?" I asked, my voice lower than usual."Sure, what’s going on?" he replied, his tone genuine."Can you please take our bikes to George? You know about Ryder's antics and... well, I don't want to deal with
Rose's Pov:As the girls and I parked our bikes across from the massive mansion, the feeling of anticipation and dread crashed over me all at once. The night air felt cooler than usual, but it did nothing to ease the sudden tension that had settled in my chest. I could hear my heartbeat pounding in my ears as we made our way to the double doors. I breathed in, trying to steady my nerves. It wasn’t that I had a problem with my body—I had long ago come to terms with who I was—but after everything, I hated being stared at. And at a party like this, there was bound to be stares."Rose, are you sure you want to do this?" Richelle asked, her grip tightening around my arm, her voice laced with concern. She always knew when I was second-guessing myself.I glanced at her, forcing a smile as I nodded. "I’m sure. I’ve grown some balls since that messed-up ex of mine. I’m walking in there with my head held high, and I won’t give a damn what anyone thinks," I said, my voice firm with resolve, thoug
Rose's Pov:There was a suffocating silence on the bike as I sped through the streets, the cold night air doing nothing to cool the raging storm inside me. My wrist throbbed with a dull, relentless pain, but it was nothing compared to the seething anger coursing through me. How dare he? How dare he think he could just walk in and stake his claim on me again? Who the hell does he think he is? The thought of his hands on me, like I was just some object for him to control, made my blood boil. I couldn't contain it anymore; I was talking to myself, screaming inside my head, unable to hold it back.And then, as if the universe had decided to snap me back into reality, I realized we'd stopped in front of the hospital. I was still sitting on my bike, frozen, lost in my thoughts, when Ryder’s voice broke through the haze of fury."Petals, are you alright?" His voice was thick with concern, and his hand on my back made me jump—shocking me out of my spiraling thoughts.I swallowed hard, forcing
{the next morning after the party }Rose's Pov:Wake up, sleepyhead,” I heard a faint whisper.I groaned, rolling over and burying my face into my pillow. "No, it’s Saturday," I muttered, my voice muffled by the fluffy fortress I had carefully constructed with my blankets. "And Saturday means sleep, so rack off!"I yanked one of my decorative pillows—the fancy ones, the ones that look too nice to actually use—onto my head. It was a bold move, a final act of defiance against the waking world.But apparently, the universe had other plans.In less than five seconds, a blast of cold, ice-cold water drenched my body, sending me into a shrieking frenzy. “WHAT THE HELL?!” I screamed, sitting bolt upright like a horror movie character who just realized they’re being attacked by a poltergeist.I shot a glance at the source of my misfortune, and there he was: Ryder, the devil himself, standing smugly at the edge of my bed. He was holding a bucket, casually dangling it by his index finger as if i
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