บท 58: From Two Floors Down

"My, it seems like Mexico's treasurer has quite the crush on you, doesn't he?" James asked.

Roselle was visiting James in the hospital after her gig at the university. She told him everything that happened that day.

"He does NOT!" Roselle protested, crossing her arms. "Jeez, just because two people connect it doesn't mean it's in THAT way."

The king tittered. "You really are thick, aren't you, peasant?"

"What do you mean?"

"Why, the way he ran after you, the way he reddens whenever he's in your grace, and the way he spoke to you? He's smitten, little rose. I don't blame him either. You are quite radiant, you know."

"Thanks," she said, though she did it while rolling her eyes.

He smirked. "And what about me?"

"Huh?"

"Well, I complimented you. It's only fair you do the same. Where are your manners?"

If this guy hadn't saved Roselle's life, she'd tell him off. Since he did and he was still recovering, she had no choice except to play nice. "You are . . ." She tried to think of a compliment.

James's inky eyes were staring into her soul while she tried to think of an answer. His gaze was soft, but at the same time, fierce. "Well?"

"You're . . . You . . ." Roselle tried to explain how she felt about the way he looked at her, but it was a difficult thing to put into words on the spot. "I . . ."

He held up a hand, signaling her to stop talking. "Never mind," he said. He smiled. "I just had a eureka moment."

She raised a brow. "What kind of eureka moment?"

He smirked. "Sometimes, the best compliments aren't the ones that are plainly stated. Come closer."

She did as told, entranced and amused about what he would tell her next.

"I think the best compliment you could give me is the expression on your face when you look at me," he said in a hushed tone.

She jumped back. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

He smirked. "Well, you're growing to like me of course."

"I never said that!"

"Your eyes did."

She puffed. "No I don't, dummy! Don't make accusations like that." She got up, red and flustered. "Well, it was nice seeing you, but I think I have to go home now."

He nodded. "Very well. Come back soon."

"Whatever."

Roselle ran out of the room and slammed the door closed. Her breathing was heavy as if she'd ran a marathon, and her face was so hot that she was on the verge of exploding. One, two, three, four, five, inhale. Five, four, three, two, one, exhale.

"That guy," Roselle mumbled to herself. She clenched her shirt. "Why am I so lightheaded? I feel . . . no." She shook it off. It was just a fluke, right? She was imagining things.

* * *

On Roselle's way back to her apartment, there was shouting and bickering. In fact, the screaming was so loud that she could hear it all the way from two floors down. The closer she got to her apartment, the tighter the knot in her stomach got because she realized it was coming from HER apartment.

She got to the door, and the fighting was so intense that she was afraid to even open the door.

Mr. Anderson, the neighbor from across the hall, came out. "Are you going to tell your sister and her boyfriend to shut up already?" he asked. "They've been fighting for two hours. I'm ready to call the cops."

"Two hours?!"

"Yep," the man groaned. "You two are the worst neighbors I've ever had." He slammed his door shut.

Roselle turned to one of the army soldiers that were guarding her. "I don't suppose you're allowed to shoot me, right?"

The soldier gave her a look. "If you say something like that again, I have to call someone and have your psyche evaluated," she said.

She sighed. "Of course you do." With reluctance, she got out her key and opened the door.

Dan and Michelle, who were having a wicked battle of words with one another, stopped suddenly when they realized Roselle came into the apartment. "Uh, sup guys?" she asked.

"Ro . . ." Dan gulped and slapped a smile of pretense upon his own face. "Hey, it's really good to see you."

"Oh, yeah. Good to see you too, Dan. Can I just ask one question?"

Beads of sweat dropped down his forehead. "Yes?"

"WHY HAVE YOU TWO HAD A SCREAMING MATCH FOR TWO HOURS?!"

Dan and Michell exchanged glances.

"It's nothing, Ro," Michelle assured. "Why don't you go back to bed?"

"Why can't you just tell me what's going on? Is it because of how I've been these past few weeks? Don't walk on eggshells around me. Having this constant anxiety of wondering what's going on is even worse than having the burden of knowing. Now spill."

Dan sighed. "I think I should go for this. I'm going out for a walk." He went out the front door.

"Well?" Roselle tapped her foot.

Her sister took a seat on the couch. "Dan and I have been fighting all the time since the day you got shot."

Roselle took a seat next to her. "Why?"

"I've been under a lot of stress . . . And honestly, he's been pissing me off."

She raised a brow. "Uh, how had he been pissing you off? Dan is the easiest person to get along with in the world. He's really nice, funny, and easy-going."

"And maybe that's the problem!"

"Huh?"

Michelle sank her face into a pillow. "I don't even know what I'm talking about, Ro. Dan and I have gotten so serious so fast, and it's starting to catch up with me. I'm nineteen. What if I end up dating him forever? Am I even ready for this kind of commitment? Ro, I used to party so hard and do whatever I wanted. I can't do that now that I'm in a relationship. Why did I rush into this?"

"I get it." Roselle stroked her little sister's head. "You're trying to push him away because you feel guilty that you're having second doubts."

She took a deep breath and played with a loose end of the pillow. "Yeah. I guess so." She looked up at her elder sibling. "What do I do?"

Roselle shrugged. "How should I know? I'm not the dating master. I don't know what you want. In the end, what you decide to do is on you."

"If you're not going to tell me what to do, what good are you then?!" Michelle got up and stormed into her room, slamming the door.

She sat on the couch pondering in confusion. What . . . just happened? She wondered why her sister was so moody these days.

* * *

Dan came back inside the apartment eventually, and Roselle was on a swivel chair waiting for him. As soon as he walked in, she turned the chair in his direction. "Hello, Daniel," she said. "I've been expecting you."

Roselle was giggling in her mind because that was a move she saw detectives on TV do and always wanted to try, but never got the chance. She forced herself to remain serious, but in her mind, she was Detective Reyes: Defender of Love.

Dan sighed. "Ro, can we talk? What did Michelle say?" He sat down on the couch.

"I'm afraid that information is confidential." Roselle sipped from a wine glass (which was actually filled with grape juice, but Dan didn't have to know that. She just wanted to look cool). "I just want to ask you a few things."

"Shoot."

"When did the fighting start and why?"

"About a week ago. Everything was going smoothly, but all of a sudden, Michelle became crazy." He ran his fingers through his afro. "Every time I try to make it better, it seems like I'm making it worse."

"Do you still want to be with her?"

"Of course I do, but not if she's going to make my life a living hell. She gets set off by the tiniest things and she won't let me explain myself . . . It's almost as if she WANTS me to leave."

Roselle nervously took a sip from the wine glass. "Uh huh . . ."

"Maybe it's time for a break . . ."

"I'm gonna be honest with you dude, I kinda saw this coming. You guys decided to move in as soon as you met. What did you think was going to happen?"

He put his head in his hands. "I don't know. I really just thought that she was the one . . ."

"And how do you know if someone is 'the one'?" Roselle asked it not only so she could help mend their relationship, but she asked for herself to apply it to her own love life.

"I guess I was a dreamer. I thought 'the one' was a silver, mystic being that you'd meet one night and you'd 'know', that the universe would throw them in your face when you'd least expect it, and then after that, it'd be smooth-sailing. Let me tell you though, now that I've gone through it, I think it takes more than a cosmic sign. Just because something seems perfect in a storybook doesn't mean that it will be in real life."

Roselle took his words and thought about what happened with Armani the last few months. How crazy it was that he showed up out of nowhere like her prince charming that 'the universe' had sent her, and how much it didn't work out like in the movies.

She nodded. "You might be onto something there . . ."

"Ro, I think I'm just going to get my things and head back to New York early. I don't think I should be here right now. Will you tell Michelle?"

"Sure."

"Thanks." With that, Dan did a little jog towards the bedroom.

There was a knock on the door not long later. Roselle got up to open it, and standing there was none other than the Treasurer of Mexico.

Roselle widened her eyes. "Celio? What are you doing here?"

Celio was fidgeting around. "I've been thinking about a few things you told me today, and I wanted to ask you something."