Trying to live

Chapter 31 (Edited)

"No."

I didn't even hesitate. Dean looked surprised and backed up, but there was something else in his eyes that I couldn't decipher. Was it pity or resignation?

He would think I was bad for saying that, but I didn't see Rose as a friend. She was kind and tried to lighten my mood, but I didn't want her in my life. I didn't want to hurt her, but more than that, I didn't want to get hurt. I didn't want to set expectations and have those expectations for another person.

I was using her.

I felt bad.

But my heart and I were my first priority.

"I didn't tell her anything about you," I continued, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "What did Rose do?"

Dean walked towards a shelf and leaned against it. "Outsiders aren't allowed at the Pit. Only members or people they bring can be there. I saw her close to it. At first, I wasn't sure if it was her. She had a three-legged dog with her, but I recognized her hair. She was almost close to the hut. I pulled her back before someone else could have seen her."

Nothing made sense. Why would Rose willingly go to the edge of town, specifically with Dolores, her dog? Even if she went for a walk, the Pit was miles away. She was always careful to avoid dangerous areas, or her parents would send her out with a bodyguard again.

Dean looked at his watch and spoke before I could. "We should go back to work, or Jenna will create a problem, and I don't need another problem."

He opened the door but didn't walk out. He looked over his shoulder. "Talk to Rose and tell her she should never set foot near the Pit again. The members aren't kind to girls like her. I saved her once, but I won't do it again."

The brooding look in his eyes told me Dean was serious. He left the office, and I sagged against the desk, drained of all the annoyance and irritation he had caused.

On top of that, Henry was waiting outside in the bistro, and I wasn't keen on seeing him after Dean's talk. But I had to.

With one last look and a deep breath to compose myself, I left the room.

****

I set the coffee cup down. After I left the office, I searched for Henry and found him sitting at a table close to the window. His eyes were focused on the people outside Royals, and his expression was devoid of the cold and assertive demeanor he usually wore around me.

Henry had come here to talk to me, and now he was still here, waiting. My heart jolted at that realization. It didn't matter that he was just here because he was my tutor. All that mattered to my heart was that he waited for me.

His green eyes found mine when the chair screeched as I pushed it out to sit opposite him. The softness in his gaze not only surprised me but made my heart race. It was the same softness that once belonged to me. The one I fell for. The one I realized I missed so badly.

Wait, what was I thinking?

No, I did not miss anything about Henry. I was just confused. Yes, just confused because of all the obstacles and problems I was facing.

I didn't know what Henry saw in my eyes—though I really hoped he didn't see the confused feelings I had for him, the feelings of missing him—but slowly, the softness in his face vanished, and his whole exterior transformed back into the Ice King. Cold and emotionless—that was the guy in front of me now.

He eyed the coffee and leveled his cold gaze on me. "I didn't order anything."

"I know."

That was all I said. He shouldn't know I actually brought the coffee for him because he was still here, and his presence comforted me more than I wanted to admit.