"David, it's getting late!" Amy called out from the other side of the bathroom door on a Saturday morning. "I'm coming, I'm coming." David said stepping out while straightening his tie. He sighed as he hurried to get ready for work. Amy followed him to the living room as he grabbed his suit jacket and started putting it on.
He glanced at her and noticed her grinning and her eyes dancing. "What?" He said. "Well, how was it?" She sang. "How was what?" David replied confused. She rolled her eyes. "Uh, hello, your date with Rose?" "It wasn't a date," He scoffed. "It was just a nice lunch among friends."
She smirked folding her arms. "That's what you say." He leaned against the chair giving her a look. "What does that mean?"
Amy shrugged. "It means that I think there's more going on than you're admitting." David smiled at that. "Well, maybe there is." He replied walking past her to grab a file from the desk. "I knew it!" She clapped her hands triumphantly.
"Amy, don't start." He groaned. Amy innocently shrugged. "I'm not but have you told her how you feel?" His expression changed becoming solemn. "I can't." He muttered. She stood in front of him placing her hands on her hips. "Why not?" Amy scowled.
"It's not that simple." David grunted trying to pass her. "Wait, what do you mean it's not that simple?" She frowned moving in front of him. "It just means it isn't." David replied annoyed. "That's not an answer." Amy huffed. He tried to move again but she stepped in front of him determined to get an answer. David rolled his eyes. It drove him crazy when she did this.
"Amy, please." He said exasperated moving past her. "This is about that night she left, isn't it?" Amy guessed. He stopped in his tracks, she had struck a nerve.
He sighed heavily looking at her. "Amy you weren't there that night. You don't know what happened or how much it hurt." He protested. "No but I know what I saw when I got back." She replied slowly looking up at him.
He didn't answer and just lowered his eyes ashamed. David never wanted to appear weak in front of his baby sister but that night just broke him and unfortunately she had to see it when she got back.
She sighed placing her hands on his forearms then meeting his eyes. "You're never going to be rid of the pain if you don't talk to her," Amy said. "Think about it." She advised slowly pulling back.
He studied her for a minute taking in what she said and smiled slightly. "I'll see you later." David said leaving for work.
The next night David found himself at Rose's front door. Amy finally convinced him to talk to her, he knew she was right after all things were improving between him and Rose but there was still a hint of doubt. He still never fully understood what had happened to make her leave like that. Deep down he was scared to find out but he had to know.
"I must be nuts for doing this." David muttered to himself. He slowly knocked. "Coming!" He heard her call out. David was starting to have second thoughts about being there and turned to leave when the door opened. "David?" Rose said surprised.
He looked at her smiling slightly. "Hi, may I come in?" She nodded letting him inside. David shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced around the apartment. He noticed her laptop, her glasses and some papers on the coffee table. Must have been doing some writing, he realized.
"Can I get you anything?" Rose asked. He shook his head feeling tongue-tied and his stomach doing flips flops. She glanced at him concerned. "Something wrong?" He lowered his eyes before looking at her standing there in denim shorts and a blue sweatshirt looking just as beautiful as she did at sixteen.
"I was hoping we could talk." David finally managed to get out. She nodded. "Of course." They went to the couch. Rose shut her laptop off before sitting beside him. "So what's up?" She asked taking a sip of ice water.
"Rose, I think things have improved between us," He sighed. "But I won't lie sometimes I half expect you to be gone the next day." David lowered his gaze. "I have doubts." He admitted.
She frowned. "You really think I would leave here without telling you?" Rose said. David quickly shot her a look and scoffed. "Can you blame me?"
It stung but it was an honest statement. "Fair enough," She nodded quietly sitting back. Rose scoffed softly. "After that night no, I can't blame you for how you feel."
David immediately regretted his tone. The last thing he wanted was to push her away. He quickly added. "Rose, I know you're sorry about that night, I've known that for years and I believe you," David paused choosing his words. "But I guess what really hurts is…not knowing what I did to make you leave like that."
She looked at him puzzled and sat up. "You mean you think you did something?"
He shrugged. "I must of. For years I've always wondered what did, what I said to make you disappear like that. I must have screwed up in some way."
She shook her head. "You did nothing wrong."
"So what happened, then?" He scoffed staring at her with hurt filled eyes. "I showed up at the fair that night with a promise ring and you were somewhere up in the night sky flying away and I…I didn't know what to think."
His heart was aching as he spoke. "Wh-what did I do wrong?" David asked with pleading eyes. His tone was heartbreaking and she had to look away. Rose began wiping her eyes fighting back tears as he waited desperately for an explanation.
"Please, I just want to understand." He begged. Rose tried to get the words out but it was hard to speak without wanting to cry.
David sighed shaking his head. "Right, I'm gone," He said frustrated getting up and going to her door. "You couldn't talk to me then why should now be any different?"
Rose watched him realizing she couldn't let him go, not again. She had to stop him. "I-I couldn't face you." She finally blurted out. He paused looking at her.
"I couldn't bear the thought of telling you that we were leaving early and that I was never going to see you, again…especially after everything we did…" Rose swallowed her voice cracking. "I-I just couldn't say goodbye."
David scoffed. "Well, it would've been better than that bloody note you sent."
Rose nodded with regret. "I know and I regret it all the time." There was a pregnant pause before he finally spoke. "Did, did you even think of me…at all?" He muttered softly lowering his eyes. "Of course," She replied sincerely. "In fact I still have the first picture I took of you when we met." He glanced at her questionably. "The one from the park?"
"Yeah," She reached into her pocket and went towards him showing him the worn black and white photo. "I look at it all the time." He peered beside her and smirked. "Blimey, look at how shaggy my hair is." She giggled with a teary smile. "I liked it."
"So you really kept this?" David asked slightly surprised. She traced her finger over the worn edges. "Yes, it's the first thing I see when I wake up." Rose admitted. David was touched, she really had been thinking about him all these years.
David studied her for a minute as she lovingly gazed at the photo then glanced down at his bracelet, realizing how much he still loved this girl and how unfair he had been. In hindsight he had messed up, too. David knew what he had to do.
Realizing he had to take the first step he caressed her face causing her to slowly glance up at him; she lingered in his loving touch as his thumb stroked her cheek. "David, I'm sorry I-"
He gently stopped her. "Rose, I know neither of us can change what happened in the past," He slowly moved his hands down intertwining his fingers with hers. "But it doesn't mean I can't forgive." David replied lovingly.
"Really?" She replied smiling.
He responded by taking her hand and gently pressing his lips against her palm sending pleasant shivers down her back. She looked up into his dark brown eyes, reminding her of why she fell in love with him.
He sighed heavily and smirked. "You know I think deep down I'll always be that same shaggy haired teenager that fell in love with you."
She chewed her lower lip, smiling. "Oh, you're not so bad, now." He smiled then gently tilted her chin up and pressed his lips into hers giving her a soft tender kiss.