"Sorry, Bae, I'm a little busy all week."

"What do you mean you're 'busy'?" I grumbled into the phone and slapped my hand down against the carpet of my floor. It was the Monday of Thanksgiving Break, Tate and Luce left the day before with strict rules that I didn't plan on following, and it was the first day Rex was gone. Barely four hours in and I was already losing my mind.

"I mean," Jax sighed and grunted like he was lifting something heavy. "I'm moving into my new place and am going to be crazy busy."

"I can help!"

Besides a quick call last Thursday to wish him a happy birthday, we hadn't talked much since. I was hoping this week could have been our time to catch up and get him used to the idea of Rex and the others before the dinosaur came home. I couldn't very well do that if Jax refused to hang out with me.

"Isn't your wrist sprained or something?" He laughed softly into the phone and I glared down at the brace still wrapped around my hurt hand.

"Yeah, but it's almost healed! I only have like two days left, so I can move stuff no problem."

"I'm not going to risk you hurting it more." He didn't laugh, but I could practically hear his smile.

I frowned and glared up at my ceiling. "Why do I feel like you're pushing me away?" If it was anyone else, I wouldn't dare voice my thoughts out loud. I knew I was wrong most of the time, but this was Jax. He knew everything about me, went through everything with me. And he swore he would never leave.

"You know that's not true, Rose." Jax let out a soft sigh, but I wasn't all that convinced. "I really am busy. I wouldn't be able to spend that much time with you if you were here—"

But the dark thoughts were already starting, the ones that kept saying he was lying. He never wanted us to talk after dad found me again. Only gave me his number for emergencies, and even then, he always kept the conversation short and to the point. I knew he said it was just to protect me, to keep that part of my life locked away forever, but he was a part of that life. And I never wanted to lose him. He promised I never would.

Then why didn't he want to see me?

Maybe that's what I was to him. A dark unhappy part of his life he wanted to lock away and never revisit. Only stayed somewhat around out of that stupid sense of duty he always had. Even as kids. I never thought Jax would run from the broken inside me, but maybe he had enough too.

"I'll see you soon though, okay?"

I hit 'end' without replying and rolled onto my side. I stared at the dark empty space beneath my bed, blinking into what seemed like an abyss. I hated the dark, but it was all I have ever known. Everyone left. Even Jax.

I groaned at the sound of the doorbell ringing hours later. I had dragged my comforter all the way down the stairs, curled into a blanket burrito on the couch and was staring at the TV all day. The exact same thing I had always done when Luce and Tate left me alone. I wrapped the comforter tighter around my shoulders and dragged my heavy feet towards the front door.

It was probably Danny checking up on me, one of dad's 'security guards' that monitored the house every now and then. He really liked to drive-bys when Luce was gone though. Like he knew how much I didn't like him lurking around. I was pleasantly surprised though when I pulled open the front door and a pair of bright green eyes met mine.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" I smiled up at the mountain that was Trey as he beamed down at me, his hands full of reusable grocery bags.

He arched a sand colored eyebrow, that smile much brighter than it was the week before. "Up for a movie night with me?" He raised the grocery bags, and I could just make out a bunch of movies in one and snacks in another.

I was super excited. I didn't like being alone—I didn't want to be, especially after that lovely conversation with Jax. He tried to call me back twice, but I sent him to voicemail each time. I didn't even bother listening to the messages he left. I was getting pretty darn tired of people leaving me. Even if I deserved it.

Then the real reason Trey was there struck me and my smile faltered. "You don't have to do this you know." My eyes dropped to the floor and I shuffled uneasily in the foyer. Rex told him to be here, probably told him to show up every day while he was gone. Trey and the others were his friends after all, no matter how nice they were to me, or how much I pretended they were mine.

"Do what?" His lips pulled into a confused frown and he shifted the bags around in his hand. I wasn't sure if he was trying to act confused, or if he genuinely was.

"Hang out with me. I know Rex asked you to, and I don't want you to feel like you have to or anything..."

That smile of his was back in full force and his bright eyes blazed. "Oh please, I would have come over whether he asked me to or not." Then his huge body basically forced me back as he let himself into my house and closed the door behind him. "Alright Princess," Trey started as he took the lead and turned towards my living room like it was his. "I have everything from Halloween Town to Friday the 13th. What are you in the mood for?"

I couldn't keep the smile that pulled on my lips as I locked the front door and followed after him. "Do you have anything not Halloween related?"

"Oh sure. I took a couple of chick flicks and Disney movies from my sister's room. You pick." He tossed the bags down, grabbed some chips, plopped his big body down on my couch and dug in.

I guess this week wouldn't be so bad after all.

The next day Trey and the twins took me golfing. Well, to be more specific they took my golf cart riding. And I used the word 'riding' loosely. Really it consisted of Brett and I in one cart, Trey and Denton in another, while we tried to destroy each other. Like bumper cars, but with the twin's golf carts.

I was sure Trey would have been sick of me after spending, almost literally, all of last night and that afternoon together, but there he was on my doorstep the next morning, beaming brightly with a wicked gleam in his eye I should have been afraid of. But I always went against my better judgement when it came to those boys.

"Careful!" Brett barked at his twin who hit us so hard on the front side fender I would have flown out of the cart if I wasn't holding on for dear life—and for the flimsy seatbelt buckled around my waist. "You break Rose, Rex breaks you." Denton's face paled at his brother's words, though I had a feeling Brett only said that so we would win.

In all honestly, as much fun as riding in the motorized cart was, I was getting nauseous from being bumped and spun viciously around. I knew firsthand why girls lived longer than guys. This wasn't all that fun, but they were laughing like they inhaled laughing gas, so I didn't want to stop.

This was the first time Brett's been somewhat at ease around me since Halloween too, and he wasn't buried in his phone. It was nice. Maybe we could actually have a regular conversation one day! I never got the chance to ask him about Lainy.

He did immediately screech the cart to a stop when my phone rang though, and Rex's name flashed across the screen. Brett's tan face paled, almost as much as Denton's, and those blue eyes flickered uneasily at the open acres of land his family owned. Turns out their grandfather had migrated from Italy and started a massive farming corporation that took off in New England and sold across the nation. Their family was pretty well off.

"Listen," He started uneasily before I clicked the 'talk' button and had to clear his throat before continuing. "We kind of told him we wouldn't take you to do anything fun—I mean, 'dangerous', so don't mention the carts, yeah?" The hopeful, pleading look in his eyes had me nodding my head in agreement before I realized it.

"Hey."

"Hey, Roza." I felt that tight grip that had wrapped around my heart when he came to my house to say goodbye the day before ease as his voice filled my ears. "I meant to call you last night but got caught up talking to the boss. How was your day?"

I've never really heard him describe anyone as 'boss' before, at least not in a rude sarcastic way. I guess the job-checking-out thing was going well. "It was okay. Trey came over to watch movies, and I'm hanging out with him and the twins right now."

There was a pause so long I even pulled the phone away from my ear to check that he was still there. "Trey came to your house? Alone?" I frowned at the hard, uncertain tone in his voice and pressed my feet firmly against the bottom of the cart.

"Um yeah, to watch movies. But you told him to do that...?" Brett was trying to be polite, even flagged down his twin's cart and hopped out to give me some privacy, but I didn't miss that brief flash of concern in his gaze before he left.

"I told him to make sure they checked on you throughout the week. They."

I didn't understand the underlying anger in his tone, which he wasn't trying to hide very well. "Well, before you said Trey... I—I'm sorry." Though I wasn't really sure what I was apologizing for.

"You don't have anything to be sorry for." Though the tone in his voice suggested otherwise. "Did you have a good time at least?" I could tell he was trying to control the temper in his tone, which a part of me found kind of sweet, even though the majority was still confused why he was mad in the first place.

"Yeah, we just watched a bunch of Disney movies. And today were at the Dimajios house!" I added quickly, like including the fact we weren't alone would help.

"Good. That's good." Though Rex sounded distant, and not with the conversation anymore. "I have to go but I'll call you tonight, okay?"

"Okay... Hey Rex?" I asked softly before he had the chance to hang up.

"Yeah?"

"I..." I sucked in a shaky breath and tried to push the embarrassed flush from my cheeks. "I really miss you."

A long heavy sigh reached my ears, but when Rex spoke again there was no anger in his tone. "I miss you too, my Roza. I'll talk to you soon."

I held the phone in my lap miserably after he hung up. We haven't seen much of each other in the pass week and it was really starting to weigh on my heart. With Luce's whole 'no week-day rule', and having to listen to her and Tate drawn on and on all weekend about the 'responsibilities of staying home alone', that didn't leave much Rex time.

After last Wednesday, when I blanked out and he took me to that lake of his, Rex ended up sneaking into my room in the middle of the night for the rest of the week. Which I was worried about since he still wasn't getting any sleep. He would wait until about midnight to sneak through my window, then leave before dawn to avoid Luce and Tate. He was barely getting any sleep at all.

"He after my ass still?" Brett asked almost casually as he popped back into the driver seat.

"What?" I blinked over with my brow furrowed before his small smile washed away my frown. Brett and Denton might have been identical, but it was way too easy telling them apart. They were so gosh darn different.

"Rex. He still want to kill me?"

"I—I don't think so." I rubbed my hand on the back of my neck and glanced over at the others. Denton and Trey were doing donuts on the sidewalk of the small golf course their family had, or as much of a donut as electric carts could do.

I had a bad feeling I just ratted Trey out, and he was the one in trouble.

The red haze over my eyes wouldn't fucking go away. No matter how hard I rubbed my battered fists into my eyes or sucked in heavy breaths. I couldn't stop myself from reaching for the phone again and pulling up that fucks number. It was the last thing I should be worried about right now too. I had business to take care of, but I couldn't fucking think straight.

"Hey man, what's up?"

"Stay the fuck way from my girl."

There was a tense pause before the fuck head let out a hard sigh. "We just watched movies, dude. That's it." My hand tightened so hard around the phone I was surprised it didn't crack.

"Alone. You watched movies alone with my fucking girl."

"Rex, relax man. You know I would never do anything."

"Oh, do I?" My words were short, clipped. I didn't trust myself to say anything else. "I'm not fucking stupid, Trey. I know how you look at her. I saw it last week!" I wasn't blind, and it didn't take a rocket scientist to know that fuck was into her.

For fucks sake! If I was a good guy I would have stepped back and let him. He sure as hell was better for Rose than I was. Great fucking personality, great fucking potential, great future ahead of him. Trey was Jasper's very own righteous golden boy. He and Rosalyn were perfect for each other. I should have let him be with her.

But I wasn't a good guy. I was selfish, and arrogant, and fucking pissed off all the time. Except when I was with her.

No, I wasn't good. Not in the slightest. And Rosalyn Summers was mine.

"Chill the fuck out and take a breather. This is me you're talking about."

I sucked in a hot, heavy breath, that red haze flashing through my gaze barely faded as I tried to choke the fury down. I hadn't fought in a few days, not since the practice earlier last week, and I was rearing to go. Though, with the mat right behind me and the beyond huge dude waiting to square off only fired up the urge even more.

"Just don't—don't..." I hissed though I couldn't find the words to describe the fucking thoughts swarming through my head. Ask me to define nearly any word in the dictionary and I could without a problem, ask me to describe my thoughts without putting a hole through the wall... impossible. "Don't try to fucking take her from me."

The ass hole let out another slow sigh. "I would never do that." There was a brief pause, one where I felt the anger die a little—just a little. "She makes you happy, man. And I haven't seen you happy in a long time."

"Stop being a fucking pansy." The words tumbled past my lips before I could stop them, though the minute I did that red haze fled my vision and that tension between us faded away. Trey laughed and I knew we were good.

"Says the guy getting pissed over a couple of movies."

"Fuck off."

"Turner! You ready to go?" I glanced over my shoulder at the behemoth in the middle of the mat, black gloves covering those bear-like hands as he punched a few times into the empty air. For the first time in a long time I felt unease over a fight shoot down my spine.

"I have to go. Take care of my girl."

"You know I will."

I hung up and tossed the phone onto my gym bag before turning to tape up my hands. "You don't look so sure about this." Bear-man laughed as I pulled the thick boxer gloves over my hands and squared up to the guy.

"You're my girlfriend's father, why would I be?" I grumbled disdainfully even though that thrill at the upcoming fight sent adrenaline straight through me. "I still don't know why you're doing this." I sighed as I made quick work of stretching out my limbs.

"I told you, that day you came to my office, I don't do anything for free. Not even for my daughters. You're an investment, kid. Don't let me down."

Which didn't make any lick of sense to me, but Rune Evans was bringing me into his world of business and no way in fuck was I going to turn that down. That still didn't mean I wanted to fight the guy.

Rune Evans, or Parker Summers as far as his family cared, let out another laugh, and the booming sound carried across the private gym his office held in Boston. "Most guys would be thrilled to fight their girlfriend's dad. I sure as hell wish I had a chance at my father-in-law. I would have knocked the fuck down a peg or two."

The dark flash that crossed his deep green eyes, eyes that were so much like Rose's it made me pause, shook through my stomach. There was something else in that story, one that was none of my damn business. This was not a man I wanted to piss off.

"Yeah, well, you're built like a fucking bear. And twice the size of me." The words were a dark grumble as they passed my lips, and I crouched down, surveying whichever way was best to take the large fuck down. By the bright, vicious smile pulling across the man's face, I had a sick feeling he had already won this match.

"You better hit hard then."