Chapter 8: 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝟎𝟕

BREE

The night back to doing my job ends successfully without any setbacks.

When I reach home, I’m tired but also happy the night went well. Not only because of my job but it was nice to have Finn around.

Since Ryan wasn’t around us, throwing darts at Finn for standing close to me, Finn was relaxed but he also kept his distance. Ryan trusts him to not do anything.

I find Rose working by the counter when I step in the apartment. A blanket draped over her head, the light from the laptop shining on her face as she mumbles whatever she’s writing.

“Hi, Rose,” I say as I step in. I drop my bag on the floor and take off my heels

“Welcome home. How was your night?” she asks without taking her eyes from the laptop and without taking her fingers off the keyboard.

I smile as I answer, “good. I had fun,”

“Good.”

I walk towards her, “how long will you stay awake?”

“Till morning,” she says and pauses typing to take a sip of her coffee.

“Rose… you should sleep,” I say, concerned. She looks tired.

Rose shakes her head, going back to work, “I’m fine, don’t worry about me. I need to proofread this in the morning. I need to submit this till the evening,”

I sigh. She won’t listen.

“Fine. But please do go to sleep,”

“I will.”

“Okay,”

I grab my pumps and purse from the ground and make my way to my room.

Putting my shoes and purse away, I make my way to the bathroom and take a quick shower.

I change into my sweats and shirt and head to bed.

As I start to surrender to sleep, Finn’s words echo in my head.

I’ll always wait for you, Bree.

What do you mean…

ᯓᡣ𐭩

The next morning, I step out of my room after freshing up, Rose isn’t in the living area.

I peek in her room and find her asleep.

Good.

I carefully close the door and make my way to the kitchen to make breakfast.

I’m hopeless when it comes to cooking so I will have to work with coffee right now.

I’ll order something.

My phone dings with a notification just when I finish pouring my coffee. I pick it up to find a text from Finn.

Finn

I’m bringing Jack breakfast. Do you want me to bring you some?

Me

Yes please! Thank you so much!

Finn

No problem. Be there in 10.

I smile and put away my phone.

I bring my laptop from my room, grab my coffee from the counter and sit on the couch. Taking a sip of my coffee, I open my laptop and start writing the report on last night’s successful event.

After few minutes, the bell of our apartment rings. I quickly put away my laptop and jump up to answer the door, expecting Finn to be standing outside.

When I throw open the door, I’m met with a different person.

“Oh, hi John,”

The man in front of me gives me a smile, “hey, Bree. How are you?”

“Good. How are you? I haven’t seen you in a while.” I know he was away on a long business trip to London.

John Miller is a successful architect who owns his own architectural business. We’ve known John since highschool. We studied in the same school. He’s two years younger than my brothers and is in the same circle as them.

He's dressed in a casual white shirt and grey pants, his feet dressed in joggers, his hair brushed properly.

“Yeah, I’m good. I’m back for good, now,” he says, "I've been trying to contact Rose since I landed but she’s not answering her calls. So, I came to see if everything is alright,”

“Oh. She pulled an all-nighter, so she’s sleeping right now. She must have put her phone on silent.”

“Oh, okay. Can you tell her to call me as soon as she can?”

“Sure,”

He smiles, “great, thanks. It was nice to see you, Bree.”

I return the smile, “you too,”

As John walks away and turns around the corner to leave, Finn walks up. He blinks at him then the two men exchange a polite greeting and crack some kind of joke before John leaves.

“Did John come to see you?” Finn asks when he reaches me, handing me the bag containing our breakfast.

He's dressed in a black hoodie and pants, his feet dressed in white joggers, his hair looking tousled but also neatly brushed.

“No, he came to see Rose. But she’s sleeping,” I reply to his question.

“Oh,” he says then frowns, “didn’t they date back in highschool?”

“No…” I say, “they went on one date then Rose declared that the only man she’ll marry is fictional,”

However, I know why she said it. Even though she denied it.

“Well, it looks like he’s planning on having another date with her,” Finn says.

“And you know him so well?”

“No. I know men.” I raise an eyebrow, “the man came to your apartment to see her… why would he do that?”

“Because he has nothing else to do.” I say and he chuckles, “Anyways, as long as he’s nice to Rose and treats her well, I approve of him,”

“Sure, okay,” he says, wearing a knowing smile.

"What?"

He shrugs, "I didn't say anything,"

"You're being weird,"

"I am weird,"

“Get out-”

“I am out,”

“Ugh! I’m shutting the door in your face,”

He chuckles but the voice gets muffled when I shut the door. I wait till I hear him walk away then turn around to go in the kitchen.

As I’m taking out the breakfast- egg sandwiches- Rose comes out of her room, dressed in her red PJs, her hair wrapped in a messy bun.

“Good morning,” I greet.

“Good morning,” she says and takes her seat by the counter, rubbing her eyes, “what’s this?”

“Breakfast. Finn brought it,”

Rose looks at me, “Finn?”

I nod, “he was bringing Jack breakfast and asked if we wanted some. Since you were sleeping and are tired, I said yes.”

“Well," she says, looking down at the breakfast, "Isn’t he being generous?”

“He is generous,”

“I know,” she smiles, taking her sandwich.

“What?” I ask her, making her look at me.

She shrugs, “Nothing,”

“You have a weird expression on your face,”

“It’s called being sleep deprived.”

“Sure,” I round the counter and sit beside her, “John stopped by today,”

Rose frowns, “why?”

“He came to see you. You weren’t answering his calls,”

“My phone is on silent,”

“He wants you to call him,” I say and take a bite of my sandwich.

She hums, “okay,”

I look at her for a while then asks, “if he asks you out, are you going to go?”

“What makes you think he’s going to ask me out?” She asks, looking at me.

“Because he has been trying to for a long time. Even after your date in highschool,”

“I’m not interested in him that way,”

“You haven’t been interested in anyone that way for a long time,”

“I like my men fictional,” she says, proudly then asks, “what about you?”

“What about me?”

“Are you planning on dating someone?”

I sigh, “I don’t think there is anyone who would date me now,” and I don't want to try.

“Bree, there are a thousand people who would date you." Rose says, knowingly, "The question is, who is the right one?”

“Do you know?” I ask, she shrugs, “that’s not an answer,” she shrugs again, “that’s- nevermind,”

I shake my head, going back to finishing my sandwich and she chuckles.