It was hard to burn those pictures holding up each one to the candle flame. But what really hurt was realizing there was more to these photos than just being proactive they were also bringing back memories of their first time together and she was remembering why she never got rid of them in the first place.
She never intended to.
Naughty photos was the only thing that was supposed to happen inside that screen porch. They never planned to have sex, it just happened but when she got back that night she was still going to burn the photos but Jackie walked in on her before she could forcing Rose to quickly hide the photos in her suitcase. When she returned home she rediscovered them. It was all she had from their romantic happier times together and decided to keep them and placed the photos inside a shoe box and back in their original hiding place where they were forgotten until now.
Rose wiped her eyes now knowing she was burning every image leading up to that beautiful moment but it's what David wanted and she did promise but it did little to ease the hurt she was feeling knowing how he felt about them, now and how bad he had made her feel last Saturday.
Rose continued until the last photo was gone. She sat there at her dining room table for a bit staring sadly at the charred remains in her glass ashtray while listening to the rain pouring outside. "How fitting." She muttered glancing at it from her window. She then sighed heavily and got ready for the hospital.
Meanwhile David was sitting on the edge of his desk going through a file when the door knocked. "Come in." He said still reading. "Hi." He heard Rose's voice say. David briefly glanced up. "Oh, hello, did you need something?" He calmly walked over to the file cabinet.
"No, just wanted to let you know I burned the pictures." She replied simply. David shrugged looking through a drawer. "Okay." She pressed her lips suppressing disappointment there wasn't more of a reaction. "I could show you the ashes if you like." Rose remarked sarcastically. David rolled his eyes. It was going to be one of those Monday mornings, he could tell. "That's not necessary, thanks." He remarked closing the drawer.
"Well, just thought you should know." Rose said sounding slightly irritated at his nonchalant attitude.
He turned to look at her biting the inside of his cheek as he leaned against the file cabinet. "I'm detecting some annoyance."
David folded his arms.
She sighed shaking her head. "I'm not annoyed I'm just still taken aback that you feel like those photos were such smut."
David groaned softly briefly looking at the ceiling. "I didn't say they were smut. I said they were embarrassing," He walked over to his desk sitting in his chair. "I was a scrawny teenage boy who had no business being photographed in his briefs."
Rose lowered her eyes shyly staring at her hands. "I thought you were beautiful." She said softly. He shot her a hard resentful look. "I'm not flattered." She scoffed frustrated. "Well, you took pictures of me, too."
David shook his head. "Yeah, I shouldn't have done that either. That was inappropriate on my part." "Inappropriate," Rose scoffed. "Well, I disagree and unlike you I have absolutely no regrets what we did especially since we slept together for the first time that day which obviously you've forgotten."
His eyes shot up glancing at her wounded. "I didn't forget, I never forgot and it was very special." He said softly.
She watched David slowly stand from his chair and began putting on his medical jacket. "But you wanted me do it anyway despite how hard it was for me to do." Rose replied as a fact.
David chuckled harshly. "You know it's funny but I assumed you cared about my feelings,too…shame on me for believing that!" He spat. "That's not fair." Rose said firmly and deeply hurt.
"Well, I'm sorry if you're offended now I have a new patient waiting so if you'll excuse me." He walked past her.
She looked at him shaking her head in disbelief. "I swear sometimes I look at you and I wonder what happened to the David I used to know."
He paused at the door looking at her slightly annoyed. "Rose, I hate to tell you this but I'm not sixteen anymore. I grew up, I am a Doctor, I have a professional reputation to maintain and I patients that I deeply care about and who count on me!"
Rose scoffed bitterly. "You know things would a lot nicer if you stop acting like a bastard!"
"No, it would be a lot nicer if you stop acting like a damn brat!" He snapped glaring at her.
Finally Rose couldn't take it anymore and slapped his face hard.
David didn't respond and just stared at her shocked holding the side of his face. He had never been hit before not even by a patient's angriest parent.
"Oh, god, I-I'm sorry." Rose gasped completely ashamed holding the now trembling hand she used to slap him with. She couldn't believe she did that. Rose tried to touch his lightly pink cheek but he flinched back. Refusing to show a reaction David avoided her eyes. "I've got to go by the way you're welcome to visit Casey, she's been asking about you." He said his voice shaking slightly.
"David I-" Rose blurted.
He didn't want to hear it and slowly turned to leave but she grabbed his arm and looked at him with pleading eyes. "I really am so sorry." She said sincerely her voice cracking.
David shrugged. "I know. I'm beginning to think sorry is your new favorite word." He muttered bitterly removing his arm and leaving the room slamming the door, loudly behind him.