CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Rose's conscience pricked with the way she'd spoken to Anna, but it had needed to be said. Sure, she'd been little more than a doormat in college but time had gone now. And to be sincere, Anna had gotten herself in more trouble trying to save her more often than not. There were times when she wished she was more like her friends, but those times were few and far between. She'd rather think and plan before acting, than just do things spontaneously. 

Beside her, Anna jerked her hips to hers, "Still mad?" She rasped. Another good thing about their friendship then and now. No matter the number of injuries Anna got while trying to save her, she just took everything stoically. The thought that her friend was used to the assault had crossed her mind more than once, but everytime it came, she always felt so guilty about it. 

She had never really shared about her life growing up, but then neither had Rose, they'd just seemingly met and hit it off right from the start. Their relationship was just among them. Her father disliked Anna, and she disliked Anna's parents. Really, it was a win-win situation. 

"I was never mad," she answered the question.

"Liar," Anna countered and she smiled.

"Okay, maybe I was mad, but not at you"

"Really?" 

Her friend was such a nag sometimes. She'd missed her more than she knew.  Rather than responding, she turned and engulfed her in a tight hug, ignoring her resulting 'hoof'

"I've missed you, Anna"

Her friend laughed and shouted, "Rose Blackwell is officially hugging me without a gun to her head. Someone call the press,"

She slapped the back of her head,"Oh, shut up and hug me back, you idiot,"

And she did. She squeezed her so tight that it hurt her ribs and healed her heart. "I missed you too, Rose"

She blinked back tears. Why had they waited this long to contact each other? At least, they were together now. 

"Okay, while this is cute as hell, oxygen is also very important," her friend huffed and she squeezed her tighter before releasing her. They looked at each other for a second, tears standing in the other's eyes before Anna laughed and shook it away. 

"Look at us. Almost 3:00 am and we insist on shooting a movie in the middle of the freaking hospital"

"But we're so good at it," she responded in the same light tone. Her friend had intentionally started it. While Anna was a firm believer in following her heart rather than her head most days, she also hated things getting maudlin. That she'd allowed Rose to see the sign of tears in the first instance spoke of long moments spent together, both sober and not. 

"You don't like hospitals?" She made herself ask as follow-up to what she thought she'd heard in the light tone of voice. 

Her friend shuddered dramatically, "Who does?" but her eyes had gotten darker. Rose made herself ignore it, she had other issues they needed to discuss first. 

"Let's go out then,"

Her friend gaped at her with an excited look on her face, "By 3:00 am. Sure, let's go"

She grabbed her hand and they skipped to the car, looking at each other and laughing about nothing and everything.

"So, where are we going?" Anna asked, and she shrugged. 

"Do we have to go anywhere? We could just grab something to eat and sit in the car till morning" she suggested. 

"Oh my heart," her friend griped with a hand on her chest, "where have you been all my life. Food before the sun comes up, what a novelty"

She laughed. She really had missed this. Not having to censor her words, and to have a chance to just have fun. She hadn't had that in the years since graduation, but then she'd started experiencing it again. Her lips turned down as her thoughts went dark. She'd been experiencing it with Laurent. He'd made her feel light, made her feel like she could be herself with him. Until it all came crashing down on her head.

As if she could sense the direction of her thoughts, her friend shoved her. "I have an idea. What do you say we grab a bite, and a bottle of the best whiskey we can afford"

"Ewwww" she responded, disgusted. Who drank whiskey when they could just stick with beer. 

"Hey, don't drink shame. We could get two of them. A bottle of whiskey for me and one of those disgusting things you drink for yourself."

She rolled her eyes, "Now who is drink shaming. But fine, let's do it"

"Yay," she cheered before she added, tongue in cheek, "and you're paying"

She laughed at the thousands of memories that phrase brought, "When am I ever not?"

"Well, you're the rich one. You practically have an empire waiting for you. You can afford the whole damn supermarket"

Her good mood deflated, but she kept it off her face. Not anymore, her brain reminded her.