Rose of Thorne (24 page)

Sebastian

“I miss you, my beautiful sweet girl,” I whisper in my phone. It seems like a hundred years since I have last seen and held her. Right now, she is in Boston helping Sophie get settled in to her new dorm room. I finally convinced her to take my private jet so that she could transport all of Sophie’s belongings that she needs while away at college. I certainly didn’t want them driving across the country or her driving back all alone. Just the thought of that makes me sick. She is so damn stubborn that she almost turned my offer down. I love how this woman is so independent, but she needs to let me take care of her. She is mine and I will always make sure she is taken care of.

When Thursday
comes, I can barely contain myself. She is flying back this morning and I immediately have Sara cancel my appointments for the rest of the week. I am going to pick up my beautiful girl from the airport and then we are moving her stuff in with me. We are finally going to be together and I plan on it staying that way too.

I watch
my plane land at Austin-Bergstrom airport and immediately I feel my tension ease. As I lean against by my black Porsche, I see her emerge from the plane. Her long, dark, glossy waves fly in the wind and she is wearing a short pink skirt and white halter-top.

Shit
! This woman takes my damn breath away.

She instantly spots me and
runs to me across the tarmac. I meet her halfway and scoop her up into my flowered filled arms.

My heart
is safely back with me.

Our mouths crash together and our tongues begin wildly exploring each other.
I don’t want her away from me ever again… EVER! For four days, I have felt like my heart stopped beating. Without her, my life doesn’t exist. She has no idea just how vital her love is for me to survive. She is truly my lifeline.

“
Take me home,” she whispers in my ear and I think my face is going to burst with the grin it is sporting. She doesn’t have to ask me twice. I am taking her home, to our home. We can move her stuff later.

“Yes, ma’am,” I give her my slow
Texas drawl that she’s always loved. We spend the rest of the weekend in ‘our’ bed… in ‘our’ home.

My life
right now is absolutely 100 percent perfect. We have been living together for almost a month, and slowly, my girl seems to be getting back to normal. She no longer screams out in her sleep and I start thinking maybe the worst is finally behind us. I just want to make her happy and take away all the pain that she has endured. I will spend from now until my dying day making sure that fucking happens.

I want
her to go to lunch with me today, but Kylie is finally back in town from visiting my cousin Nik in L.A. The two of them really seem to have hit it off and I am more than shocked at how they have tamed each other’s wild ways. I think Nik has actually realized he met his match that night at the club.
That night
… I smile at the reminder of our first time together. I remember each and every glorious moment with her. It was one of the most amazing nights of my life, only topped by the nights spent with her since.

I kiss
her good- bye and pretend to pout as she leaves to go meet Kylie. She winks back at me and shakes her head before sticking out her tongue.

Like I said…
my kryptonite!

Skylar

Kylie and I decide to have lunch at our favorite Tai restaurant that is not far from my work. She arrives before me and waves me toward our usual table. I haven’t seen her since our graduation and I am beyond ready for some girl time with my best friend. We enjoy a fun lunch as we catch each other up on our Thorne men. She and Nik really appear to be getting serious. He is moving back here to Austin in a month to open up a new restaurant and I’ve never seen her more happy.

Kylie began working at Telko, a
well-known advertising firm in Austin, immediately after graduation and seems to love her new job as a marketing assistant. She says that if things go well she may even get promoted in a few weeks to marketing analyst. All of her good news elates me. Everything is going so well for everyone I love and that makes me so incredibly happy.

When I go to pay for our meal
, the waiter shakes his head and grins.

“It has all been taken care of
, Ms. Rose. I hope you two have a great day,” the waiter says and I know immediately that my favorite guy pulled a fast one on me. I smile to myself…
I’ll get him for that one later.

“I will call you soon and we
’ll all go out to dinner,” Kylie offers as she slings her bag over her shoulder.

“That sounds great, sweetie. J
ust let me know when Nik is back in town and we’ll set it up,” I reply cheerfully.

“I’ll call you later
, girl. Be sure to tell Sebastian ‘Thank you’ for lunch, Skyster!” she says and kisses me on the cheek.

We hug goodbye and part
ways on the sidewalk. A familiar chime on my phone indicates a new incoming message.

SEBASTIAN: I LOVE YOU
, BABY!

ME: NOT AS MUCH AS I LOVE YO
U
Thank you for lunch btw!

My phone
begins ringing his silly personal ringtone, making me giggle as I quickly answer it.

“Hello my sweet baby, I miss you,” his voice booms through the phone.

“Ahh… Mr. Thorne I presume,” I sarcastically answer my phone. He immediately begins laughing on the other end.

“Did you have a good girls lunch with Kylie? Nik sure seems to be hooked under her crazy spell,” he adds.

“She’s not crazy,” I giggle.

Well
… okay... so she is a little crazy, but she is an awesome best friend.

“She’s
pretty crazy about him too. Must be something about the Thorne men, huh?” I joke, but suddenly my voice hitches. It is then that I see two evil eyes glaring daggers at me from across the street. My feet freeze to the spot, and I feel the world start spinning around me as my body erupts into frenzied panic.

No, it
can’t be him… Trevor?

I blink my eyes and scan the crowd around me.
I don’t see him anywhere.

Was that really even him?
Where did he go? NO! OH GOD!

Fear
overtakes me, and I cannot breathe. Pain ripples through my chest and my knees begin to buckle, and I start to sway. I barely remember a woman yelling before I feel my head hit the concrete. My phone hits the pavement and lands directly beside me. My head is pounding from the fall, and I can hear Sebastian frantically yelling my name through the speaker of my phone. I feel people kneeling close to me, and right before I close my eyes, I see him in the crowd across the street; his evil smile grows even wider. His hair is longer and his beard covers his rugged face, but those eyes… There is no doubt… It’s him. Trevor is back. He will never let me stay alive. I close my eyes and give in to the darkness.

I wake up to an annoying beeping noise and a sharp pain in my head.
It hurts to open my eyes and I blink slowly at the hospital room around me. Sebastian is in the chair beside me with his hand draped on my arm. My sudden movement startles him and he sits up and scoots toward the bed. I notice it is dark outside.

How long
was I out?

He forces a worried smile at me.

“I’m going to go get the doctor,” he says nervously.

“No, wait.
How long have I been out?” I ask him.

“Almost thirteen
hours. A lady heard me shouting on the phone after you collapsed. I made it there just before they loaded you in the ambulance. My God, Skylar! You definitely know how to scare the living shit out of a man. What happened? Were you feeling ill or something? Kylie said you were just fine when she left you,” he says concerned.

“No, I jus
t… I don’t know what happened,” I lie.

I can’t tell him…I don’t want him to know.

A nurse and doctor that are making their rounds interrupt us
. The doctor informs me that I only suffered a slight concussion and a bruised rib from the fall. I should be fine to go home first thing in the morning. Sebastian doesn’t leave my side for the rest of the time I am in the hospital. When we arrive home, he fusses over me entirely too much, insisting that I stay in bed and rest. I don’t want to alarm Sophie so I plead with Sebastian not to contact her. I especially don’t want her back at home right now. I know Trevor will stop at nothing to hurt me and I couldn’t bear to lose anyone else in my life.

My nightmares have returned and now
wake me nearly every night. This morning images of Trevor standing over me laughing as he sliced into my face and chest fill my dreams. I feel the glass going into my lower back and lodging near my spine. I can smell the alcohol on his breath as he forces his kiss on my mouth.

I jerk
awake and yank back the covers. I barely make it to the bathroom in time before I throw up in the toilet. Sebastian isn’t far behind me and holds my hair back as I continue heaving until there is nothing left to expel. I try reassuring him by saying that I sometimes get sick after my nightmares, but he doesn’t seem convinced. I hate not being able to tell him about all of this.

I strip and turn the water on in the shower.
I zone out the minute my head submerges underneath the stream of hot water. I feel Sebastian move behind me, but I don’t move. I feel numb…lost.

Without saying a
word, he gently massages the shampoo into my hair. I am like a zombie and I allow him to go through all the motions for me. After he is through, he shuts the water off and wraps me in one of his thick towels to begin drying me off. Then he moves me to the bedroom where he gently slides the brush through my hair. Once he is done, he slips one of his t-shirts over my head, then lifts the covers, and pulls me into him. Gently he strokes my back while he rests his chin on my head. I slowly relax into his arms and come out of my trance.

“I love you baby. Everything is going to be ok
ay just close your eyes. I’ve got you. Sleep, my sweet baby... sleep,” he softly whispers into my damp hair. He kisses me on the forehead and pulls me into him. Through his gentle strokes I finally fall back to sleep in his loving arms.

I am safe.