Rose knew she screwed up big time. She paced the living room carpet trying to figure out how to say she was sorry to David.
"Why did I have to get mad at him like that?" She scolded herself.
Rose could hear him walking around in his apartment. It sounded like he was organizing his art supplies and muttering to himself.
She glanced at the wall and sighed. It was now or never. Rose poked her head out and saw his door was cracked.
She slowly stepped out and smoothed her short blond hair. Rose wanted him to see she had put some effort into her apology; the last thing she wanted was to look sloppy.
Suddenly Rose heard David snap his fingers and she nearly jumped. She hated when he did that.
"Ooh, almost forgot I've got to call Sammie." He muttered.
Rose was fully aware he used a speaker phone for convenience whenever he was running around the apartment. Which meant she had to wait but she had made this far and didn't want to go back to her place.
She also didn't want to eavesdrop on him but concluded it was probably just another buyer and decided it was okay to wait by his door until his phone call was over.
She heard a beep and David started speaking. "Hey Sammie?"
"David?" A young Scottish girl answered.
Rose was surprised. She sounded at least nine years old.
"Yeah it's me. How are you?" He replied.
"I'm fine. I got an "A" on my math quiz." She said proudly.
"Well, look at you then!" David replied sounding so proud of her.
Rose smirked at how adorable he sounded. Now she couldn't resist so she propped herself up and listened closer at the door.
"How are mum and dad?" David replied setting out his supplies.
There was a heavy sigh from Sammie. "Well, dad's missing you and is afraid you're not eating enough and mum still believes you don't exist."
David chuckled. "Okay, then just tell her the invisible skinny son sends his love."
Rose was taken aback at David's nonchalant reaction to his mum. "He shouldn't have to tolerate that kind of treatment." She thought to herself.
"Okay." Sammie's voice suddenly broke.
"Hey, what's wrong, sweetheart?" He asked concerned.
Rose was amazed; he sounded so different. It was hard to believe it was the same David. There was something quite sexy about it. "Wait, did I just think that?" She wondered.
"I miss you and I wish you could come home." She hiccupped.
He sighed. "I know and I'll visit soon. I promise."
"You will?" Sammie hiccupped again.
"I swear on the big brother's manual." He swore confidently.
Sammie giggled and sniffed. "There's no such thing."
"Well, regardless I promise to visit you." He replied.
"Okay." Sammie cheered up some.
"Oh, before I forget I saw Bobby the other day." David said moving some boxes with his foot.
"Really?" She answered excitedly.
"Yep and I gave him the picture you drew." He added.
"Did he like it?" She asked hopeful.
"His eyes lit up and he smiled so I take it as a yes." David said.
Rose tilted her head and wondered who Bobby was. She was becoming very curious about David's life, now.
"I'm sorry I couldn't come with you but I was grounded." Sammie grumbled.
"It's okay you can come next time but I still want details on how you got Ms. Johnson's hair brush to dye her hair blue." David replied intrigued.
Rose rolled her eyes smiling. "He would find that interesting."
She chuckled. "I'm glad you thought it was clever but yeah I'd like that."
He sighed. "Well, I've got to go. I've got to get started on this picture. Oh and thanks for the crayons!"
"You're welcome, love you David!" Sammie said.
"Love you too." He replied before ending the call.
Rose never heard David sound like that before. It was nice and she loved how he responded to his little sister. But it saddened her how his mother treated him or maybe it saddened her that she never knew.
There were so many things she never knew about him and now she wished had gotten to know him sooner.
Rose was so lost in thought she didn't hear the door open and David peering down at her smirking.
He tapped her shoulder startling and making her yelp. "Hi!" He smiled.
She scowled and stood up. "Not funny."
He leaned against the door and shrugged. "Sorry but I'm just curious what are you doing by my door."
Rose lowered her eyes embarrassed. "I was hoping we could talk."
He bit the corner of his lip and opened his door wider. "Come on in."
She walked in and was greeted by some of the most beautiful art work had ever seen. He had all kinds of paintings and drawings on the wall.
Rose marveled at some of the pieces and glanced at his sketches on the coffee table in awe.
"Amy wasn't kidding when she said he had talent." She said to herself.
"Something wrong?" He asked inspecting one of his brushes.
Rose shook her head. "No, it's just your work is incredible." She gazed at an abstract mosaic of a rose.
David blushed as she continued to browse. "Impressive." Rose said.
He leaned up against a table and folded his arms. "Thanks but I gather you don't want to buy anything so what brings you here?"
Rose tugged at the bottom of her sleeve. "I want to apologize. I was unfair to you." She said softly.
He shrugged and plopped on the couch. "Well, I was no better; I shouldn't have said those things to you."
Rose smiled slightly and sat beside him. "Still those were some bold remarks you made."
He glanced at her. "Is that good?"
She shrugged. "It is as long as you don't say them again."
He smirked. "Okay, deal but why did you get so mad?" David asked folding his hands.
Rose sighed. "I'm failing my writing class. She says I'm not showing enough passion and I was stressing over a paper that could make or break my grade. It really wasn't you I was mad at. It was me."
David nodded. "Maybe I could help."
Rose gave him a curious look. "You write?"
He sniffed and tugged the front of his shirt. "Well, I don't like to brag but I've won a couple of writing awards."
She smiled. "Really? So would you mind helping me?"
"Not at all, I love it!" He grinned.
"Thank you! Thank you!" She squealed squeezing his neck nearly knocking him back.
"Uh, I'm glad you're grateful but you're cutting off the circulation in my neck." He replied.
Rose pulled back and blushed. "Sorry."
He just smiled then looked at the boxes of crayons. "I better get started."
"So what are all the crayons for?" Rose asked picking up a small box.
"Well, a client wants a picture painted with partially melted crayons." He said.
Rose watched him walk to a table to get a coffee grinder. "Sounds like a lot of work."
David nodded. "Oh, it is but I love it!" He smiled.
"Can I help?" She asked.
He looked at her surprised but pleased. "Really?"
Rose playfully scoffed. "Don't act so surprise. Believe it or not I like art."
He gave a light chuckle. "Okay, pull a spot on the floor."
They sat on the floor and started grinding crayons. She looked at him strangely. "You use a coffee grinder?"
David nodded. "Yep!"
"Why?" She smirked.
He shrugged. "Easy, I don't like coffee and it's faster this way."
Rose nodded. "That actually makes sense."
He smiled thoughtfully and put some pieces of crayons before putting them in the grinder.
Rose started crushing crayons then glanced at him. He noticed. "What?"
Rose shook her head slightly. "Nothing, I just didn't know you had a sister." She said.
David shrugged while fiddling with the grinder. "You never asked."
She lowered her eyes at his remark. "Fair enough." Rose replied softly.
He raised his head and looked at her funny. "No, I mean it you never asked a lot of people don't."
She broke into a smile. "You're something you know that?"
"Well, better than being nothing." He replied smirking.
"Your sister sounds adorable." Rose smiled.
He beamed. "Yeah, gets it from me!" He joked.
"Why does your mum react to you that way?" Rose asked.
David poured some crushed crayons into a tray and shrugged. "Doesn't want me to be to be an artist."
"Why? I mean you're really good." She replied.
He chuckled. "Oh, she thinks because of my I.Q I should do something else that applies to my intelligence." Saying the last part in a posh voice.
"So I gave her the biggest insult." He said measuring the crayons.
"Which was?" She asked.
He glanced at her smirking. "I followed my dream." David winked.
She smiled then picked at her jeans leg. "Um, I hope it's okay to ask but who's Bobby?"
Rose hit a nerve. His playful eyes became despondent.
"Bobby is my older brother." He replied pressing his lips in a thin smiled
She tilted her head surprised. "Really, where is he?"
He glanced at her sadly. "He's in a home." "Twenty eight and he's in a home. My mum didn't even try just stuck him there in hopes he would die soon." There was bitterness in his voice.
"I'm so sorry." She said sympathetically.
David paused then sighed heavily. "Bobby is the kind of big brother that I think every kid wishes they had." His were eyes somewhat glazed over but no tears fell.
He pressed his lips. "He was funny, bright, kind and the only one that wasn't afraid to stand up to my mother."
"What happened to him?" She asked softly gently squeezing his hand.
David shook his head and sighed. "He loved motorcycles especially if they were fast. Anyway one day he and his girlfriend Erin went riding but the streets were still slick from the rain."
David swallowed. "I begged him to wait but he just smiled and promised he'd be safe."
"His bike skidded and hit a car; went right through the window. Erin was killed instantly but Bobby suffered a severe head injury. He was on life support. Dad, Sammie and I wanted to keep him alive but mum wanted to pull the plug." He said faintly and sniffed
Rose saw the pain in his eyes and her heart broke for him.
He looked at Rose smiling sadly. "Bobby was a fighter though and he woke up but he was never the same. He can't walk, talk or move hardly so mum sent him to a home. Sammie and I are the only ones that visit him; it's too hard on dad."
"When do you see him?" Rose asked.
"Um, usually during the evening once or twice a week; I bring art supplies for him to use as part of his physical therapy. He really loves it." He replied returning to the coffee grinder.
Rose winced. She knew she was going to regret asking but did anyway. "Is that why you finish your client's art at night, sometimes?"
David just nodded and continued to crush crayons.
Rose felt terrible. "Why didn't you tell me?"
He shrugged. "I didn't think it mattered."
Rose groaned. "It does matter. I wouldn't of hassled you if I had known."
He looked at her and smiled. "I know but I like it when you come by."
She blushed. "Really?"
"Yeah, who else is going to remind me to put on my glasses?" He teased.
Rose smirked and playfully slapped his shoulder making him laugh.
Rose smiled at him and they continued working. Looking at him she realized he was more than a quirky silly guy. He was a person with thoughts and feelings and a kind heart.
David was also somebody she wouldn't mind getting to know a bit better.