Wilting Roses

Chapter Twelve: The Unraveling

They always say good things never last.

A/N: Ummmm, so it's been what, like over seven months since the last chapter for this series? Don't have a reason for why this took so long to come out except that I simply got distracted by another fandom. But I am hoping to conclude this story so expect more regular updates until then.

I suggest re-reading the previous chapter as it's been a while.

The glass reflected my face as I stared down at the rings offered in the window display. They were both silver and slender, with tiny script running on the inside that could be engraved personally. Bella and I had joked about this- about getting matching rings for each other, but for me this was no longer a joke. I intended to buy her a ring, something that was symbolic of our tie to each other, of how we belonged to each other.

The price tag was pretty hefty but I did not mind. I had the money for it and I had no doubt that Bella would be happy with what she got. I pushed my way inside the store and tapped my credit card on the counter. "I want two of those rings," I told the clerk, pointing at the window display.

He nodded his head and moved to get me a pair.

The buying process was quick and soon I was exiting the place with the two rings safely tucked away into a tiny bag. I was brimming with excitement and could barely contain myself. I would give them to Bella at school tomorrow when we had a private moment to ourselves. I almost caved and called Bella to meet me now but I held onto my childish joy. It would be worth the wait to have her open the gifts up tomorrow.

I drove back home and frowned when I recognized the two new cars in the driveway. I parked my car and got out, opening the door to spot some suitcases in the hallway. "Mom? Dad?" I called out. What were they doing back here? They weren't due for another month or two.

"Rosalie, is that you?"

"Yea it's me," I shouted back before finding my mother in the dining room, reading glasses on her nose as she perused the papers in front of her with a frown.

"You sound different. I almost didn't recognize your voice," she commented as a clatter came from the kitchen.

Yea that has a tendency of happening when you don't see your children for half a year, I mentally rolled my eyes. "What are you doing back so early?"

"Our fundraiser in Ghana got canceled."

"Why?"

"Too much political unrest with NGO's. We had to leave. Which is just fantastic," mother sighs sarcastically. "Now we have to move everything and lose all the money we put on putting it together just because the government doesn't know how to act."

"Are you leaving soon?"

"Yes. Your father and I are only staying here overnight. We need to go meet some of our associates to see if we can find a way to cut our losses and to bring the event over to another country in need. Howard!" she sharply cried out as another commotion arose from the kitchen. "Leave the snacks alone and come see these numbers!" Mother had finally found what she was looking for in the papers and my father emerged from the kitchen, granola bar halfway in his mouth.

"Hey kiddo," he ruffled my hair, afforded me a kiss and went over to mother, the two of them deep in conversation.

I sighed heavily, fixing my carefully done hair that my father had just ruined. The both hadn't seen me in months and couldn't spare to ask me about how my life was going. But I suppose that was too much to ask of them. It was always business with them. "I'm going upstairs to leave you two alone."

"Where's your brother?" Father asked. "Isn't it too late for him to be out?"

"Club afterschool," I tossed over my shoulder and reverting back to my room. There I plopped down on my bed and started on my homework feeling as if my parents being home barely made a difference on my everyday life.

The next day I woke up, heart pumping with excited energy. This was the day I gave Bella her ring. I jumped out of bed, ready to be there at school extra early so I could catch Bella beforehand. I brushed and styled my hair in a hurry and ate breakfast even faster. Mom and dad weren't even up yet and they probably would be gone by the time I made it back from school.

I left them a goodbye note wishing them well on their trip before I rushed to school, the box with the ring burning in my pocket. I had already slid mine on and it looked so right on my ring finger. I wanted badly to slid it onto Bella's finger but sadly I would not be able to reserve the right, not in public. I would have to content myself with just giving her it.

I was one of the first at school, Bella's dilapidated truck there already. I texted her and asked her where she was. The text came back quickly. It turned out she was in the library catching up on some studying before her tests. I slipped my way into the empty space and sat down next to her, a bit breathless.

"Good morning," she beamed up at me and I was tempted to lean in and kiss her but I was all too conscious of where we were.

"Good morning. I have a surprise for you today."

"Really? What is it?"

I took the ring box out. "I know we joked about this before, but I decided I wanted our little joke to be something more." I popped the lid open and the ring gleamed.

"Oh Rosalie," Bella's enraptured sigh filled my ears as her lips spread wide. "This ring is beautiful."

"Go ahead and put it on," I urged. "I already put mine on." I showed her where it rested on my slender finger. She took the ring and slid it onto her finger and admired it from several angles. "This was really nice of you," she said and leaned in to kiss me. I instinctively backed up, hating the way Bella's face fell at this action.

"Not here," I told her, mindful of the librarian sitting not too far away.

Bella pouted. "Why not? We've made out countless times in the library before."

"But always in the back. Not upfront where anyone could see."

Bella's brows furrowed up. "Rosalie, what are you so scared of?"

"I don't want people knowing about us," I explained, sure that it had been clear to Bella and that Bella never had an issue with this before.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about that, Rosalie. I don't want us to hide anymore. I want to show you off as my girlfriend," Bella consciously lowered her voice, her gaze hot on me.

I squirmed in my seat at this. "Bella, you know I can't."

"Why not?"

"I have a reputation and I don't want to have it changed."

"I think you're scared," she accused me.

"Of course I'm fucking scared. Of what others think of me," I whispered harshly. "I'm the resident popular girl. I can't afford people to know this about me. They would eat me alive- in fact, their waiting just for such a slip up like this."

Bella's face scrunched up. "Why does it sound like being gay is something that should be hidden? Why does it sound like you're ashamed of it."

I hated how pinpoint on Bella was. I was scared of anyone knowing my true sexuality and I felt like it was a warranted belief. Coming out in college would be different. Here, everyone was small minded. "You don't know Forks. I've lived here my whole life and I don't want to be judged by these people not even worth to draw air," I growled out, getting frustrated. "And I'm not ashamed. Scared, yes. Still trying to process all this, yes. Discovering myself, certainly." Here I took her hand to reassure her. "I just don't want to come out in high school. When I go away for college and meet people who are open to self discovery, who don't care about how much money or clout I have, then yes. But not to these brainless, spineless leeches that populate this school."

Bella took in a deep inhale here. "Okay, I understand." She squeezed my hand back. Then a giggle burst from her lips. "Do you really think everyone here is a leech?"

I rolled my eyes. "I may be over-exaggerating a bit."

"College it is. You better go to the same one as me," she said warmly.

"There's only one college in Forks and I'm not going to that one. So unless you plan to go somewhere to California..."

"Ugh, all that sun and those tanned people," Bella wrinkled up her nose. "I thought I escaped all that when I moved from Arizona."

We continue to tease each other until the bell rings and classes start for the day.

The rest of the week flies by, and like a secret, we carry those rings with us, not saying a word on it to anyone. Anyone but Alice of course, who knows we are dating and notices the matching jewelry with hawk like vision.

"You got her a ring?" she squeals when she catches us in the parking lot parting ways. "You girls are so cute! So whose last name are you both using?" she playfully asks.

"Hers," Bella and I answer at the same time and we turn to each other with open eyes.

"You wanna be called Swan? It's such a boring and bland name," Bella said in incredulity.

"And you'd rather be called Hale? It has no poetic beauty to it like your's does," I huff out.

"Your first married argument!" Alice squees and I swat at her shoulder playfully. "These are technically only promise rings," I explain because both of us are too young to be married.

"How about Swan-Hale?" Bella compromises.

"I like that," I smile at her. "I like that a lot."

And what I liked even more is the next step these rings promise us. The step to becoming adults. Bella and I want to make our first time special so we're planning it out. I can already imagine a romantic candle lit dinner, followed by a sensual tease that leads us both up to my bed and into delicious pleasure. I couldn't wait and I doubt Bella was any better off with waiting. We didn't have a date or even a concrete plan settled but all we knew was that it would be soon.

I was ecstatic that I would be able to take the next big step in my life with Bella. She was the perfect person to enter that next stage with; I couldn't imagine doing it with anyone else.

"See you," she pecked me lightly on the cheek and got into her truck to head home. Unfortunately we had too much homework this weekend to see each other so we would have to wait until Monday to be together. The thought of a whole weekend without seeing Bella is hard, but I am consoled by the fact that she is only ever a phone call away, or a text nearby.

I say goodbye to her and head out with Alice for some ice cream, not knowing that this would be the last time I get to say bye to Bella as my girlfriend.

When Bella doesn't answer any of my texts over the weekend I don't think too much of it. We both have a lot of work and she's the more studious one of the two of us. But when she doesn't pick up my phone calls on Monday morning when she's missing from our usual meet up point in the parking lot before class, I begin to worry. Did something happen to her? Is she hurt? Sick?

I worry needlessly and pace around outside before being drawn in by the bell and having to attend class. It turns out she's not in school at all that day and my mood is sour.

Emmett tries to cheer me up at lunch but I nearly chew his head off for trying that so he stops. Jasper doesn't bother with me- he knows my moods too well and how it would be wise to steer clear of them. Alice offers me a sympathetic look because she can garner the reason why I am acting this way. Edward, however, seems almost smug and every time I almost catch him outright smirking at me, he quickly amends his features into something somber.

If I was any less wrapped up in my worrying over Bella, I would notice his behavior and call him out on it, but I don't.

I keep texting Bella, asking if she's okay and what happened but predictably I get no response. And neither does Bella show up to school on Tuesday or Wednesday. I really begin to worry now and so engrossed in my worry I am that I drive over to her place after school. The windows of her room are curtained and dark and it almost looks like no one is there.

Her father opens up the door. "Rosalie, how nice to see you."

"I came to ask if Bella's okay. She hasn't been to school and she hasn't been answering my texts."

"She's not feeling well and she just wants some peace and quiet," he answered, taking a swing from his beer.

"Okay," I nodded my head and felt bile creep up my throat. Was Bella too sick to even text me a simple yes? To text her caring girlfriend even the letter k, to show she was alive and kicking and not ignoring her?

I wondered if I had done anything to piss Bella off but nothing came to mind. On the ride back home I fiddled with my ring and sighed heavily. Hopefully everything would be better tomorrow.

But things only got worse tomorrow.

I woke up to a simple text from Bella that said I'm breaking up with you.