Marrying Mr Write (Mr Write Trilogy) (3 page)

She didn’t respond to me, she just asked me to hold
her, and I happily obliged.

“Are you ready then hop along?”

I
’m standing next to Rosie's bed with a wheelchair. She’s allowed to come home today just as long as she isn’t left unsupervised, and I make sure she continues her physiotherapy.

“Yep, just about
.” Rosie struggles to lift herself up off the bed and I rush towards her,

“Hey
, go easy. You’ll do yourself an injury!” I wink as I lean in to kiss her and pick her up off the bed.

“
Practicing for our wedding night?” She giggles as I seat her carefully in the wheelchair,

“Oh Alvez, on our wedding night
I'll be throwing you over my shoulder and running to the bedroom. Don’t you go getting any ideas of it being romantic, I’ll be ravishing you woman!”

Rosie laughs as Rafe and Pip walk in to the room to help us with the bags.
After two days of sitting by Rosie’s side Joaquin finally managed to drag Bernie away. I promised that I would phone Bernie immediately with any updates and reluctantly she agreed to go home.

There’s no elevator in Rosie’s building and even though she’s tiny, I’m knackered after carrying her up two flights of stairs and am pleased to finally put her down on the bed. I help her to get comfortable and kiss her on the forehead before speaking.

“Right, Pip is
going to stay here with you. I need to nip back to the flat and get a few bits. I’ll be straight back, are you ok?”

I need to go and get
some things so that I don’t need to leave again anytime soon, but the thought of leaving Rosie like this worries me sick.

“Don’t go
!” She reaches out her hands for mine and pouts as I sit down on the bed next to her.

“Baby, I
won’t be long I promise. I’ll get enough stuff so that I don’t need to go home again all week,” I smile and kiss her as I stand to leave,

“Get all your stuff
!”

I look at
Rosie and she smiles sheepishly toward me,

“What do you mean
?” I know what she is saying, but I want to hear her say the words,

“I never want you to have to go home
again. Well, I want this to be your home, or somewhere else that’s ours. I want us to live together.” She blushes and I lean down and kiss her,

“I love you so much Rosie
.”

I
can’t keep the smile from my face as I leave the flat. We’re going to have a place that’s ours, and I’m going to make sure that it’s perfect.

“Wow, big step RoRo, you’ll be getting engaged soon…oh wait!” Pip remarks sarcastically when I tell her that I asked Jackson to move in with me,

“Ok you can say
I told you so!”

“
No need, you know that I did!” We both laugh as Pippa hands me my coffee.

“Come on then, tell me how you really feel about
everything.”

I thought I was done talking through everything that has happened, but I should have known this was
coming. Pippa knows me better than I know myself, she can see straight through me.

“I don’t know Pip. I’m sad, I thought I was going to have a baby and that was
my last waking thought before Jackson telling me that it was gone. I don’t know how to deal with that really. It’s just gone and there’s nothing that I can do to change it.” Tears are starting to build in my eyes and there’s a lump in my throat as I open up to my best friend.

“What about erm,
the abortion stuff?” Pip lowers her voice as she asks,

“I really don’t want to think about i
t. Jackson said the first thing that came into his mind, he panicked. He’s really sorry and he knows now that he does want kids in the future. What if I can’t though Pip?”

“What do you mean? Why
wouldn’t you be able to? You’ve been pregnant twice before Rosie, there’s no reason you shouldn’t get pregnant again!”

“But really Pip, I killed them both. One
by choice, one by carelessness!” I am crying now as I face up to what I’ve been trying to ignore,

“Rosie no, don’t you dare!
What happened eleven years ago was horrible and you did not deserve any of it, nobody could ever blame you for getting rid of that baby. How could you be expected to carry the product of that bastard for nine months? And this, the accident, it was just that Rosie, an accident. You are going to be an amazing mother RoRo, I know it!”

Pippa reaches across the bed and holds my
hands; I don’t know where I would be without her.

“Anyway, in other news…
Mr Benjamin Long is moving to London!” She smiles at her change of subject and I immediately brighten up,

“When? Is he moving in with you?” I am curious, the only man that Pippa has ever lived with is Rafe.

“Don’t know yet and don’t know yet! He’s been offered a job but it doesn’t start until August so he’s going to work back home for the summer and save what he can and then we’ll see where we’re at closer to the time. As it stands, I would love him to move in with me but don’t know if it’s too soon. By August though, things might be different.” 

“Pip, that’s amazing.
I’m so happy things are going well for you two. Do you lurve him?” I tease and she rolls her eyes, “Do you want to kiss him? Want to hug him? Want to smooch him? Wan…”

“What I want
Rosetta Alvez is to fuck his brains out but I’m not seeing him for nearly two weeks, so a change of subject would be lovely!”

We both laugh, Pip and Rafe are the only people in the world who can make me pour my heart out, cry my eyes out and laugh till my belly hurts all within the space of an hour. I need them more than they could know.

“What about this one?” Jackson holds the details of an apartment in Canary Wharf in front of me,

“Its way out of our price range and it’s really, I don’t know, ‘bachelor pad’ comes to mind!” I screw up my nose and pick up the details of the Covent Garden apartment again,

“You really like that one don’t you?” Jackson takes the details from my hands,

“Yeah, I don’t really know why but it just seems like the one to me,” I blush slightly; I don’t want to seem like a diva, desperate to get my own way.

“Then call them, let’s go and see it!”  Jackson smiles as he leans over to kiss me before getting off the bed and walking toward the bathroom, “But I’m
in charge of decorating!”

“Fine by me James, I’ll just tell you when you’ve missed a bit!”

Despite being in almost constant pain, hardly being able to walk to the toilet and trying to get my head around losing the baby, I’m happy. Jackson and I are moving forward, the only way is up as they say!

“Good morning gorgeous, I made you a cuppa!”

I wake to the sight of a shirtless Jackson carrying two steaming mugs into the bedroom.

“Thanks babe, what time it is?” I’m a little groggy and in need of my painkillers, but his
bare torso helps me feel a bit more alive.

“It’s only half eight sweet
ie, sorry but we’ve got loads to get done so I thought an early start would be best.” Jackson hands me my mug and sits on the edge of the bed next to me,

“That’s fine, I can think of a better way to wake me up than coffee though
!” I try for a look of ‘sex goddess’ but I think the result is desperate horn dog.

“Baby, I want to
, but you know…and besides we have so much to do!”

Things between me and Jackson since I came out of hospital two weeks ago have been great, except for one thing, sex! He won’t touch me. He is scared that he’s going to hurt me and won’t even entertain the thought until I’m fully healed, despite the doctors saying that it’s fine.

“Fine! Coffee it is then, but you’re buying me lunch!”

Tom Odell croons through the speakers of the iPod dock as the April rain against the window plays percussion. I’m on top of the world today. Jackson and I are packing up his flat ready for the move into our new apartment in Covent Garden. It’s modern and contemporary, not my usual style but I felt like a change. A new start!

Jackson has gone out to get us some fish and chips for lunch and I’m enjoying listening to his ‘chill list’ while I pack up the contents of his kitchen.
Jackson has a great eye for interior design; packing up his belongings assures me of that. He has some fantastic pieces that I can’t wait to see adorning our new home. He’s brought everything over to the dining table so that I can sit while I wrap things in newspaper. I’m still on crutches and he reminds me about fifty times a day that I have to take it easy.

It’s not just my body that needs time to heal. I’d just gotten used to the idea of becoming a mother when it was taken away, it hurts every day but it’s getting easier with each one that passes. Jackson and I took some time to analyse each of our reactions to the pregnancy and the things we said to each other. He apologised almost hourly for about three days for the things that he said. Neither of us
has repeated his words from that night and I don’t think we ever will.

We know now that one day we will have children, but for now we’re going to enjoy being young and in love and living in one of the greatest cities in the world.

Jackson must have forgotten his keys as he soon knocks the door, I wouldn’t mind but in my current state it takes forever for me to get there.

“COMING!” I call as I struggle up on to my crutches and make my way to the door, “You are truly usel…What are you doing here?”

I can’t believe what I’m seeing. How Sasha has the audacity to show her face here, it’s beyond me.

“
Oh hello Rosie. Gosh what happened to you?” She doesn’t wait for an answer, “I need to see Jackson please.”

She is certainly more polite than the last time I saw her but if she thinks she’s going to be allowed in, she’s crazy.

“Tough! You’re not welcome Sasha. And he’s not here so can you leave please.”

I can’t help but notice that she looks different. Her hair is
slightly longer and lighter than the harsh black bob that she used to sport. She’s wrapped up as though it’s the middle of winter and is wearing hardly any make up. She really is very pretty without her bitch mask on, that thought angers me.

“I’m sorry Rosie, but I really have to speak with him. I’ll wait!”

“What do you want?” I hear Jackson’s voice as he approaches up the corridor, “I told you not to get in touch Sasha!”

I know Jackson is in control so I make my way back to the
table but I’m not sitting down. I’d rather struggle on crutches than show any sign of weakness in front of her. Jackson makes his way over to me as Sasha follows him into the flat. I throw him a look that says
‘I’m not sitting down so don’t try and make me”
and he shakes his head on a deep breath, then kisses me on the temple as Sasha starts to speak.

“Jackson, I know I’m not welcome here and I’m sorry but I had to see you. We need to talk…privately.”

The cheeky cow, she thinks she can show up here and get a one to one with my man, the man she practically raped? I don’t think so!

“Sasha, if you’ve got something to say just say it. I don’t have secrets from Rosie.”

I smile inwardly at his words and start to wrap another vase. My leg and back are aching as I lean against the dining table for support but I try to ignore it and stand strong, wanting to appear completely uninterested in what Sasha has to say.

“JJ please, just trust me on this. It would be better in private!” Sasha tries to urge Jackson to shut me out but he refuses,

“I’m marrying Rosie! Anything you have to say to me, you can say in front of her. Spit it out or leave”

“Fine Jackson, but I warned you!” I glance up as she starts to remove her coat, “I’m pregnant JJ
, and it’s yours!”

I
lose control of my limbs and fall backwards into the chair as the vase that I was wrapping shatters around my feet. Jackson rushes to me and I see Sasha walk further into the flat behind him. I am stunned. Is she telling the truth? I can’t even form words…

“Rosie, are you ok? I
really don’t know what is going on, I’m sorry.” Jackson is looking me in the eye and speaking in almost a whisper. I know what he’s thinking,
‘please don’t leave me.’

I’m going nowhere.

“Why are you doing this Sasha? Why are you determined to
ruin my relationship? Even if Rosie and I weren’t together I wouldn’t be with you so stop this!” Jackson doesn’t sound angry, he sounds desperate. I look up as Sasha removes more of her winter layers, she is definitely pregnant, and by the look of her she doesn’t have long to go, “Sash, please stop this!”