Rose and Hux looked at each other, both apprehensive but filled with longing.
'I don't want you here,' Rose said firmly but not truthfully.
Armitage looked pained by her words. It was difficult for her to see, although it was the desired effect she wanted her words to have on him.
'That's what I told Ben, but he stressed that there was no one else. I couldn't just abandon you.'
Rose's heart contracted. She tried to ignore it. But maybe it wouldn't be so bad having Hux there? Maybe she could use it as a way to get some payback.
'Okay. You can stay,' she conceded.
He looked relieved and walked towards her.
'On one condition,' Rose said, holding up her finger. Hux stopped in his tracks.
'Name it.'
'I'm the boss, so you have to follow all of my orders.'
Armitage nodded.
'I have no problem yielding to a woman,' he said meaningfully, his choice of words made Rose blush.
'See those drawers over there, that's where all the craft supplies are kept. I need them all put out on the table here.'
'Yes boss,' Hux said with a salute.
Ooooh she liked his calling her boss. It sent a little tingle down her spine.
Rose bit her lip as he walked away. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea after all.
'Finished!' Hux announced. He stood proudly next to the table. Rose pressed her lips together. Rey never organised the crafts so neatly, everything had a place on the table under Armitage's careful supervision.
'It looks amazing,' she admitted.
Hux beamed at her.
'You do realise it's going to last all of three seconds when the children get here?'
'I had heard that small people can be troublesome like that,' he joked with a fake frown.
Rose giggled and Armitage looked thrilled.
Crap. She was doing a really bad job at staying mad at him.
She cleared her throat and scowled at him.
'Get the box of cookies from out back and arrange them on the plates over there,' she ordered.
Hux nodded and swiftly moved through to the back.
A few moments later, two teachers arrived with twenty excited six year olds.
Rose beamed at them all and crouched down to talk to them. When she stood back up and turned around, she came face to face with Hux who was holding the box of cookies in his hands and looking at her with a gentle expression.
'What?' she asked coming towards him.
'You're just so good with children, it's a joy to watch you with them.'
Rose avoided his eyes.
'Kids are easy. I can always tell when they are lying to me.'
Hux winced.
'I deserved that,' he said quietly.
He plastered a smile on his face and opened the box.
'Who wants cookies?'
The children all came rushing towards him and he bent down and helped each of them decide which to choose.
Rose watched him with an aching heart. She thought it quite sneaky of him using the children to get back on her good side but she had to admit that it was working.
'Stupid, adorable, ginger ass hole,' she muttered under her breath.
The children finished their cookies and Hux walked around the table helping them create works of art with glitter and glue and not complaining once about the mess that inevitably ended up on what Rose assumed was a very expensive shirt.
When the children left and they had packed everything away, Rose said what she had been wanting to say for a while.
'I want to apologise for what I did to the store.'
'You have nothing to apologise for,' Hux insisted.
'Yes I do, I shouldn't have done it. It was childish and wrong.'
'I'm the one to blame. I drove you to it. The fault is mine.'
Rose looked at him. It was so hard to be this close and not touch him or just reach out and kiss him. Hux seemed to sense her internal conflict. He took a step closer to her.
'Rose, could we try again?' he asked quietly.
Rose's heart hammered in her chest.
'I don't think that's possible.'
'Why not?' Armitage pressed.
'Everything is different now, I don't even feel like I know you,' Rose explained.
He stepped closer to her.
'You do know me. Everything I told you was true, Rose. Everything I felt for you was real, is real.'
She hated to admit it but it felt good to hear him say that.
'It was?'
'Yes, I meant every word. Rose, I'm in agony without you.'
Her heart bled. She was tempted by his words, but a little voice inside told her she could get hurt all over again.
'It's too late. You ruined everything.'
His face fell.
'Rose, please listen to me…'
'I did enough listening to you and all it brought me was heartache and my store is on the line because of you!'
'Let the store go Rose, come work with me.'
Rose looked at him as if he had two heads.
'And be a corporate shill? Never!'
'Then just be with me, Rose, you'll want for nothing I swear, please…'
Anger filled her.
'I don't want your money, how could you even think that!' she yelled.
'I don't! I don't think that! I just want to look after you, please Rose, I miss you so much. I need you.'
'I miss you too,' she replied before she could stop herself.
'Then why can't we be together?' he pressed moving towards her.
'Because it's not that simple.'
'Why not?'
'Because First Editions represent everything I hate!' Rose sobbed. 'You swallow everything in your path and pretend to yourself that it's not personal, it's just business. But it's personal to me Armitage, it's personal to me! When I opened this store it was like my sister was with me once more and now…' she broke down into fits of tears.
'Now I feel as if you are going to take her away from me all over again.'
'No one could ever take Paige away from you, Rose. No one. She will always be with you.'
Rose looked up at him with desperate eyes.
'Stop this,' she pleaded.
'Stop what?'
'Stop the build.'
He held his hands out to his side helplessly.
'I can't Rose, and even if I could it would only be a temporary halt. My Father would overrule me. There's nothing I can do. It's too late. I'm sorry.'
Tears poured down Rose's face.
'Then we have nothing else to discuss.'
'Rose…'
'I want you to leave now.'
Armitage looked heart broken but Rose stood firm.
Armitage looked at her with red rimmed eyes but he couldn't deny her wishes. He left and the moment he was out of view, Rose broke down into a heap on the floor.
'I wish you were here Paige,' she whispered.