She closed her eyes, steeling herself for any reaction, expecting Roscoe to leave any moment.
Knowing Roscoe for his talent and independence, she was sure he wouldnât linger after her rejection.
At last, the door shut.
When Nicole opened her eyes again, she was alone in the room.
Suddenly, Nicole felt drained of all strength.
Her heart felt empty as if it had been scooped out, leaving her feeling cold and hollow.
She had deliberately said those words, making Roscoe think she was belittling his background.
In truth, she felt she was unworthy of himâ¦
Roscoe moving on would mean a better life for him, full of brighter possibilities.
He shouldnât be confined to this city, bearing hatred not his to bear.
With Jarrodâs maniacal nature, knowing her intentions might lead to a relentless vendetta⦠Nicole decided not to drag anyone else into her problems.
Everything seemed all too familiar.
She believed she was destined to be alone⦠To face her challenges by herself, to live and die aloneâ¦
Nicole tried to comfort herself, but the pain kept washing over her, unrelieved by her efforts to calm it.
Then, all of a sudden, the door swung open once more.
Nicole looked up to see Roscoe with a kettle in his hands.
Roscoe walked over to Nicoleâs bed smoothly, poured some water, and gave it to her, saying, âI let it cool off a bit.
Itâs nice and warm,â
Nicole glanced at the cup, her eyes suddenly filling with tears.
Just when she was convinced sheâd be forever alone, here was Roscoe, back again.
Fighting the urge to cry, she took the cup and drank quickly.
However, Nicole coughed violently after drinking too quickly and started to choke.
Nicole could use this to help explain her sudden surge of tears.
However, the tears seemed too excessive for a simple choke.
Tears dropped onto the blanket, creating patterns.
Roscoe felt an emptiness inside him.
Quickly grabbing the cup, he gently patted her back and asked, âIs it too hot?â
It didnât make sense to him.
He had made sure the drink was only warm, worried she might burn her mouth during the night.
Nicole shook her head, attempted to speak, but only managed to hiccup.
The hiccups kept coming, one after another, uncontrollably.
As she became anxious, Roscoeâs calm face suddenly came into view.
Dangerously close.
That was when Nicole noticed how appealing Roscoeâs Lips were, looking soft and slightly redâ¦
Roscoe leaned in even closer.