005

Rosalie's POV 

The drive back to campus was painfully quiet.

Well... for me.

Emily, on the other hand, wouldn't stop talking. She had the music playing softly as she drove, occasionally humming along while stealing glances at me.

"You've been awfully quiet."

"Hmm?"

She chuckled. "See? You're not even listening."

"I am."

"Liar." 

Emily sighed dramatically. "You're seriously worrying me now. Normally, I'd have to beg you to stop talking."

I managed a weak smile.

"Give me twenty-four hours."

She chuckled. "That's my girl. Tomorrow, I expect my annoying best friend back."

"Annoying?"

"Very. But she's my favourite person to be annoyed by.” 

I sighed, resting my forehead against the cool window.

She wasn't wrong. I hadn't heard half the things she'd been saying. Because every time I closed my eyes, I saw him.

Caleb Kingston. His face. His voice. Those impossible midnight-blue eyes. Heat crawled up my neck.

God.

Could I please stop remembering last night every five seconds?

Emily nudged my shoulder lightly. "You know, Dad probably scared you."

"What?"

She laughed. "He has that effect on people."

I swallowed. If only you knew.

"My dad is... intense."

"That's one way to describe him," I muttered under my breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

She smiled fondly. "He wasn't always like that."

I looked at her. "What do you mean?"

Emily shrugged.

"He used to smile more when I was little."

Her expression softened. "But business changed him."

I frowned. "You make it sound like business is a person."

"It practically is."

She laughed again. "He's married to his work."

Something twisted inside me.

Married to work but not married.

Wait. Why was I even thinking about that?

I mentally smacked myself.

Emily continued. "You know those business magazines?"

I nodded absentmindedly. "They call him the Ice King."

Ice King? I nearly laughed.

The same man who had looked at me like I was dessert barely twelve hours ago?

If only they knew.

"They're all terrified of him."

Emily grinned mischievously.

"His employees practically shake whenever he walks into a room."

I blinked. Really?

That didn't sound like the man who had carried me to bed so effortlessly.

Stop. For heaven's sake, Rosa. Stop thinking about the bed.

My phone suddenly vibrated inside my bag.

I pulled it out. My stomach dropped.

It was Maxwell Calling...

I rejected it immediately. A second later, the phone rang again.

I groaned. Emily glanced sideways.

"Seriously?"

I pressed decline again. The screen lit up once more.

Maxwell Calling...

"What does he want now?" Emily scoffed.

"I don't know."

"You don't?"

She snorted. "He wants his punching bag back."

My fingers tightened around the phone.

"No."

I shook my head.

"He wants the version of me that forgave him every time."

Emily spared me a quick smile.

"There she is."

"What?"

"The Rosa I know."

She reached over and squeezed my hand briefly before returning both hands to the steering wheel.

"Don't let him make you doubt yourself again."

I nodded. This time, I meant it.

***

BACK IN SCHOOL 

Westfield University looked just as busy as ever.

Students flooded the walkways, chatting in groups as they hurried between lectures.

For the first time since yesterday, everything almost felt normal.

Almost. Until people started looking.

One whisper. Then another. Then another.

Their eyes followed me wherever I walked. My heartbeat quickened.

Emily noticed too. She rolled her eyes dramatically.

"News travels faster than Wi-Fi around here."

I forced a laugh.

"I can see that. They'll find something else to gossip about tomorrow."

Hopefully.

We hadn't even reached the Faculty of Business before someone called my name.

"Rosa!"

I froze. Oh, No. Please no.

Maxwell stood a few metres away, holding the biggest bouquet of red roses I'd ever seen.

Several students slowed down. Some outright stopped walking.

Great. Just exactly what I needed.

Emily folded her arms. "What do you want?"

He ignored her completely. His eyes stayed on me.

"I've been waiting for you."

"I can see that." I said sarcastically. 

He walked closer. "I've called you over thirty times."

"I know."

"You blocked me."

"I know."

His shoulders slumped. "Can we please talk?"

"No."

"It'll only take five minutes, Rosa."

"No."

"Two?"

"No."

A few students had already taken out their phones.

Wonderful.

Campus entertainment had officially begun. Maxwell stepped even closer.

"I'm sorry. I messed up."

Silence.

"I made the biggest mistake of my life."

I stared at the flowers. Then back at him.

"You think flowers fix cheating?"

"No."

"You think apologies erase betrayal?"

"No."

"Then why are you here?"

His jaw tightened, completely clueless on way to say. "Because I love you."

I laughed. It surprised even me. This entire drama was not funny at all. It was sad.

"You don't love me, Max."

"I do."

"You loved me while sleeping with my roommate?"

His face crumpled. "It only happened once."

Emily barked out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, congratulations."

I almost smiled. Maxwell looked desperate.

"Please, Rosa."

"It meant nothing. There was no emotion. I swear."

I looked him straight in the eye. "You know when you really lost me?"

Hope flickered across his face.

"It wasn't when I caught you cheating."

His brows knitted together.

"It was when you tried convincing me it was somehow my fault."

The hope vanished. "You made me question myself. You made me wonder if I wasn't enough. Hell, you even made me feel guilty for something you chose to do."

I shook my head slowly. "No one who truly loves someone does that."

His lips parted but no words came out.

I stepped around him. "This conversation is over."

"Rosa—"

"I wish you well, Max."

I didn't raise my voice as I simply walked away.

Emily flashed Maxwell a triumphant smile before hurrying after me.

"You handled that beautifully."

Did I? Because my heart still hurts. But at least, it wasn't breaking anymore.

Behind us, everything went quiet.

I didn't look back. I refused to. I imagined Maxwell standing exactly where I'd left him while the bouquet slips from his fingers onto the pavement.

I wasn't done with the image in my head when I heard his voice again. 

"You'll come back to me, Rosa. I promise you will."

I heard him clearly but I pretended I didn't. Over my dead body would I return back to Max.