Just Rose

Chapter 33

Rose dropped Abby off at Duncan’s farm, well the gate leading to it,

Muffin in tow, the girl loved stealing him to take there and not that Rose minded, he was getting the run of the countryside and socialising with Duncan’s two collies which was doing wonders for the little fur ball. He was far more sociable nowadays when she took him to town and still the love of all the old women. Muffin jumped all over Rose as she clipped on his little blue leash and handed him out to Abby at the side of the car.

‘I’ll see you tonight then?’ Rose beamed at her, watching the wriggling white ball get loose on the ground and start running around wildly, tail almost taking off with the excitement of being here. He recognised the drop off point and knew where he was going.

‘Yup, I’ll get Dunky to drop us off at yours around eight.’ Abby leaned in and kissed Rose on the cheek, a usual farewell and turned on her heel. ‘Don’t forget the cakes!’ She waved Rose off as she moved her car off the curb, U turned in the road and headed back towards town with a smile and wave. Yelling out the window.

‘I won’t forget, going there now.’ She turned away from Abby’s departing figure and turned on the stereo, summer tunes bringing her mood up a little.

Abby and she had plans tonight; Rob was apparently working late and meant to be meeting a client tonight for dinner. She wouldn’t see him until late, if even at all, depending on when he got finished and the last few days he had been so busy.

* * *

Rose walked in on Rob and Morag unexpectedly in the bakery, unaware that he was even back in the village this afternoon after he left for a city meeting this morning, she hadn’t heard from him all day. Morag was clinging to him possessively in a way that sent Rose into a dark mood. Jealousy eating into her bitterly, the shock of walking into him here without any heads up that he was back, and the fact he was with her of all people.

Morag’s hands were wandering over his upper body, the seductive way she was leaning in to talk to him quietly and that look of unconcealed desire on her face for anyone to see sent Rose into an eternal rage. Having to endure watching them from across the room as she walked up behind them to queue was more than she could bear.

‘This looks cosy.’ She snapped angrily, not caring what the other woman would make of it and only concerned with letting her so called boyfriend see that she was pissed.

‘Rose.’ Rob turned and caught her eye, a smile with a frown that portrayed he was confused with her hostility.

Are you dense?

‘Who else?’ She grated, shoving her hands into her bag to find her purse and praying to god they would just leave. She was beyond angry, she was inwardly seething and using her temper to keep tears at bay. She just felt like screaming at him right now and maybe batting him around the head with anything to hand. She could feel his eyes on her, probably wondering where this had come from, but she didn’t care. That woman was still pawing him, and he was still allowing it.

‘I just got back, came in to get some cakes for Ab’s and you ... You know your movie night.... Ran into Morag here.’ He was trying to explain, without it being too obvious to Morag and she seemed to be too lost in scanning the cake board to even realise the huge tension building up between them.

‘That’s what I’m here for.’ She said tightly, still avoiding his eyes and making it clear she wasn’t being appeased in the slightest, she lifted her brow and gazed directly at Morag’s hand on his chest, her hip nuzzled against him in a semi snuggle and Rob followed. Looking down he frowned and pulled himself away from her in a slow step back.

‘If you’re getting them then I guess I don’t need too; just send Abby along with whatever you’re buying.’ She smiled sarcastically, turned on her heel and stormed out fast. She was sure for a moment that he would have the sense to follow her, but he didn’t. A glance back showed him looking her way but still firmly rooted to the spot in which she had left him and not looking like he intended to move. Rose swallowed the sob and stalked to her car in an almighty temper, tears hitting her cheeks before she even got out of the car park.

Driving back home her phone lit up on the seat beside her and despite still driving she picked it up to look.

‘What the hell was that?’ It was Rob and by the looks of things he was pissed too. If he had no clue why she was upset over this, then he was a moron.

Flinging the phone down on the seat, she drove the rest of the way home stupidly fast and almost crashed into the opening of her cottage when she made a death defying turn at too high a speed. Slamming the brakes on when she pulled up to her gate, stones scattering as she skidded to a halt.

‘For someone who is just a friend, you sure spend a lot of time cuddling up with her!’

Rose replied with blurry vision and nose running, sniffing hard as the tears fell fast and not giving one s**t that she was acting like a crazed jealous psycho.

‘Are you really accusing me of f*****g around with her? Of cheating on you?’

His response was fast, obviously pissed and Rose had nothing more to say. She knew she was over reacting, but she couldn’t calm down.

Any woman would feel this way in her shoes, at seeing her man in the clawing hands of some snake like woman he just didn’t seem to want to get rid of.

She stared at her phone for a moment and then dropped it in her lap, unsure what the hell to do. She was howling, angry, upset and yet regretted starting this stupid fight. Her head a chaos of doubts and insecurities caused by this damn infernal situation. It was destroying her sanity.

Her phone lit up and vibrated again, she looked down to see his name and picked it up to look.

‘Cancel Abby tonight, I’m coming over. We need to talk.’

Feeling that inner pride hit, that stubborn side of her, she raised her chin and replied in impulse.

‘Sure, your red head will allow you off your leash for that?’

Rose stared at her own reply and cried some more, mentally wondering if she was about to get her period because this level of immaturity was not her and her hormones obviously had something to do with it.

‘’I’m coming now. You better meet me at the cottage!’

Rose hesitated, and all her anger dissipated, sudden trepidation in place of anger now and immediate fear that he was coming, right now! She picked up her phone to tell him ‘No’ but something stopped her. As upset as she was, she wanted him to come. To get him away from that woman and just... She had no idea. She was too overwrought to think straight, and she just couldn’t get her head in gear.

Moving fast, she grabbed her phone and bag, wiped her face quickly and dived from her car. Hoping to get in the cottage before he appeared and try to look less hysterical. She got inside as she heard the rev of a familiar sporty engine heading up the gravel driveway and moved faster, pulling the door shut behind her and heading straight for the kitchen.