[CHAPTER EIGHT]

Previously on Avenging Angels

Rose spends her first break with her sisters and finds out the truth about Iris's true feelings.

She gets an idea of how to get access to the camera in the office at the Castle.

EIGHT

I opened my room door and got squeezed by a small figure.

"Rose!" Chloe whined and shook me back and forth.

Geez, for a small stature she is strong.

"I missed you"

"Calm down baby girl. I have only been gone for a weekend" I managed to push out of her grip and put my things on my bed.

I missed her too but I would never admit it.

"I know but it feels like you have been gone for a month or even longer" she helped me put my shoes behind the door.

"Don't get too attached to me, baby girl" I took out my uniform from the closet.

"Why?"

"Go get changed. Miss Helda must have started to curse us now" I said and she laughed before putting on her own uniform and we headed to the kitchen.

"I am surprised to see you up so early, My ladies" Miss Helda said with a hint of sarcasm.

We exchanged amused looks and quickly got to work.

"Girls" Miss Helda called and we quickly lined up in front of her.

"Change of duty," She announced.

"Chloe, Helen, and Violet on cooking. Sarah, Georgia, and Francesca on cleaning while Rosaline, gardening" she finished and stepped out of the kitchen.

"Why am I always on cooking?" Violet groaned as she fried the eggs.

"Why cleaning again? My fingers are so wrinkled because I dump my hands in water every single day" Georgia cried as she examined her fingers.

"Wuhoo, I am on gardening" I jumped and laughed as they all glared at me.

Gardening is the easiest job here, you have a lot of free time.

I took the tools for gardening from Helen who gave them to me with a scowl and went outside.

The fresh early morning breeze tickled my face as I walked to the garden. Only my low black heels could be heard, hitting across the pavement.

Once I reached the garden, I took off my shoes and felt the cool grass that is wet from the morning dew under my feet.

I took the watering pot and began to sprinkle water on each flower.

"Done stalking me?" I murmured as I felt a presence behind me.

I turned around and smirked as I saw his startled face before he walked over.

"How did you know I was there?" He asked, his face genuinely curious.

"I smelt you" I shrugged.

"What do I smell like?" He asked, touching a flower but retreated his hand after a thorn stung him.

"Cocoa butter and a hint of mint. I am guessing you chew gum a lot" I said as a matter of fact and he nodded.

"Rose, right?" He asked and I nodded.

"Brightest flower in a garden" I mumbled, I felt eerily comfortable around him.

"I am Travis Hatchman" he brought his hand out and I took it with raised eyebrows.

"Yes, the same Mrs. Hatchman" he answered my silent question.

Now I can actually see the resemblance between him and his mother. They have the same eyes, hair color, and heartwarming smile.

"Rosaline" I kept my gaze on the flowers.

"How long have you been here?" He asked as he followed me to the other side of the garden.

"As long as I have been. Why do you care?" I said.

"Calm down tiger. It's just a question" he held his hands in surrender.

"Tigeress"

"What?" He squeezed his face in confusion.

"The feminine of Tiger is tigeress" I said nonchalantly.

His mouth formed an 'o' shape and he shrugged.

"I have been here for a week"

A very long week.

"How long have you been here? I haven't seen you the entire time I have been here" I began to trim the grass.

"Two months. I was on break for a week" he said and kept following me.

I hummed in response.

That explains why I haven't seen him.

"Aren't you on duty or something? Why are you stalking me?" I stopped what I was doing and questioned him.

"It's not exactly called stalking if you are aware and we are having a civil conversation," he said in a duh tone and I just rolled my eyes.

"And I haven't heard of a daylight robbery in this town since I have been living here my entire life" he let out a small chuckle.

"Why did you take off your shoes?" He pointed at my bare feet.

"I love the feel of fresh grass" I continued the trimming.

Helen didn't really help these flowers. They are all wilting and on the verge of death.

"Country girl?" He put in hands in his pockets and tilted his head, openly staring at me.

"Yap" I gave him a short answer and walked farther from him but he just kept following.

I was about to take another step when I felt a grip on my ankle, I looked down to see him holding my ankle.

"What?" I asked in irritation.

He pointed down and I followed his direction to see a sparkling glass hidden in the grass.

"Oh, thanks" he let go of my feet and picked the glass.

"See you around, Thorne," he said and left the garden, leaving a bewildered me behind.

Wait!

How does he know my last name?

I continued with my work, humming to a light tone and shaking my hips just for the fun of it.

I love gardening. My old man and I both loved it, after we were done with the flowers, we would be filled with dirt and sweat and we would always laugh at each other faces.

'If you don't love what you do. How do you expect it to turn out all rainbows and unicorns?'  He would always tell us.

I grabbed the things and moved to the back door, I would have to complete it later.

I felt a pair of eyes on me. When I looked up, I saw Christian leaning against the rail in the balcony, shirtless and hair a total mess.

He was staring at me with an indifferent look, I scowled at him but he remains impassive.

What's up with the dork?

*****

After breakfast and a totally weird and silent dork.

We were in the kitchen, having breakfast.

"I can't believe the audacity he had to do that! Who breaks up with a text message?" Georgia exclaimed.

She was ranting about how a guy broke up with her over a text two days ago.

You can't really blame the guy, I mean look at her bitchface. Who would want to date an antelope?

"His loss. He just lost this" she gestured at her body and I snorted not so quietly.

"You have got a problem, Rose?" She snarled at me.

"If a problem consists of a parrot that has been ranting about her failed relationship with Nick Jonas the II and about her non-existent S shape, then yes I do have a problem, George" I took a bite from my toast.

"My name is Goergina" she gritted.

"And my name is Rosaline but everyone calls me Rose. I don't hear myself complaining" I retorted,

She opened her mouth to retaliate but closed it as the attempt failed.

She continued eating her food in silence and I smirked in triumph.

I gave Helen a low five and we all began eating in peace again.

As Avalor entered the kitchen, we all stood up with bowed heads.

"Rosaline, to the glass room" she delivered a short and straight statement without glancing at any of us before leaving the kitchen.

I grabbed Helen's collar.

"Make sure to keep my food safe. If not then..." I used my hand to slit her neck and she nodded shakily.

"That's a good girl" I took a sip from my juice and rubbed my palms in anticipation as I walked to the glass room.

Time to meet the devil.

I entered the glass room and walked through the roses. I let my fingers feel the soft, smooth red petals.

"I see you like flowers" her back was turned towards me as she watered the roses.

"Yes, I do. Especially rose" I muttered and she hummed in response.

"Give me the grass cutter" she pointed at a box filled with gardening tools and I took it out and handed it to her.

"I would like you to design the grasses here as you did with the one outside," she said and walked past me, watering the roses.

"How old are you, Rose?" She asked after some passing seconds.

"Twenty, ma'am" I replied in a silent tone and concentrated on the flowers.

"Quite a young lady. Don't you want to go to college?" She asked, her eyes never once leaving the flowers.

"I am saving money for that, ma'am" I kept playing the game she is at.

"Where did you grow up?" She continued.

"A small village" I played along.

"Your parents?" She asked.

"My mom died while giving birth to me. My father was murdered a long time ago" I answered in a cold tone, I then heard a gasp of pain and when I turned around, she was holding her bleeding finger.

I quickly took a cloth to stop the wound from bleeding any further.

"Are you okay, ma'am?" I asked in fake concern. She could cut her entire fingers for all I care.

"I am," she said in a monotone and slightly shaky voice.

You are making it all too easy for me, Avalor.

When I turned my head, I took a close look at the roses. My heart began racing and my pulse increased.

I took a sharp breath and took a small step back while my eyes were still on the roses.

Those roses aren't just any roses. They were a part of my childhood. The roses my father always brought when he returned from his business trip.

My favorite rose.