Fool For You [2]

Chapter Seven

        Before Gabriel returned home, he and Rosalie hid the remnants of the broken statue in a copse of trees near the Institute. She had argued that removing the broken statue would be even more suspicious, but Gabriel had insisted on 'disposing the evidence' of their crime. So, she had decided it was easier to go along with it than to continue arguing. It was clear from the glimmer in his eye that he had enjoyed hiding it. It was like some part of his inner child had been awoken. Rosalie liked to think that it was thanks to her and her silly game, but she could not say it with absolute certainty. What she did know with absolute certainty was that she liked this side of Gabriel. Beneath his cold exterior, there was someone who knew how to have fun. And without the presence of his father looming over him, he enjoyed playing her silly little games. It was nice to have a friend. Not that she didn't have friends, but this was the first time since arriving in London that she had been able to choose who her friends were. 

        With nothing to do for the rest of the day, Rosalie spent her time reading out of the Codex. She had borrowed this one from Tessa's room out of pure curiosity. Her sister was always so enraptured by this book, but Rosalie never understood what was so interesting about it. She flipped through the worn pages of the book and saw nothing but terrifying demons with even more terrifying descriptions. But the longer she stared, the more she understood why her sister was always reading it. Demons become increasingly less frightening when you know what you're dealing with. Knowing what to do with them and what to avoid made all the difference between life and death. And that would be very interesting for a know-it-all like Tessa. Rosalie stayed in her room for the rest of the day, all nestled into the small armchair with the book placed neatly on her lap. She may not have been interested in the section on demons, but the section on runes was the most fascinating thing she'd ever seen. Some small part of her wondered if she would ever have those very same marks on her body. Rosalie doubted it. She had grown up as a mundane, that was the life she had always known. Perhaps it was too late for her to make that change. Perhaps she was meant to help her sister go through this horrific time and return to that old life. On the other hand, what if this was a sign that she wasn't meant to lead such a simple life? What if Rosalie was destined to fight alongside the other people in this Institute until she could no longer fight anymore? Unease prickled throughout her nerves at that thought. Could she truly live a life where death is always lurking just around the corner? A gentle knock on the door halted those thoughts. She could think those horrible thoughts later. "Come in."
The door creaked open and to Rosalie's surprise, it was Jessamine who entered. She had expected it to be Tessa. Wordlessly, the beautiful blonde pushed the door shut. She lingered in the doorway with her hands clasped in front of her.
"Are you alright, Jessamine?" asked Rosalie.
Jessamine looked over and their eyes met. "Oh, yes." she said, nodding. "I had something to ask you." Rosalie closed the Codex and sat up in her chair, her eyebrows raised. "Well, I asked Tessa if she would like to go shopping with me tomorrow... but she said she was too busy. Personally, I think that was just an excuse-"
"So, you've come to see if I will go with you instead, am I understanding that correctly?"
Jessamine shot her a look of contempt, clearly upset about being cut off. "Yes. That's what I have come to ask you... among other things." those last three words were added almost as an afterthought and had been spoken so quietly Rosalie nearly missed them.
"Yes, I will go shopping with you." Rosalie agreed. Rejecting the offer would have been even more of a headache than accompanying Jessamine. She would have heard about it for weeks, just like Tessa will for her refusal. "What else did you need?" she prompted, eager for this conversation to be over.
An unsure look flitted through Jessamine's eyes and she hesitated, breaking her ladylike stance to shift from foot to foot. "I-I was wondering if you had heard from your brother."
"Nate?" Rosalie asked, clearly taken aback by the question. "Jessie, Nate is gone." she said as gently as she could manage. "He betrayed us- Thomas and Agatha died because of him. You have to let him go. He will never come back."
"I know that." Jessamine's voice was small, smaller than it had ever been. "And I hate him for what he did, but I can't stop myself from thinking about him."
For the first time, the two girls had found something they shared. No matter how hard Rosalie tried, and no matter how many times she reminded herself of the horrible things he had done... she could not stop herself from thinking about him, could not stop herself from loving him even now. Of course, Jessamine would never feel this as deeply as Rosalie but that didn't matter. All Rosalie knew, and all that did matter was the fact that Jessamine was hurting. Granted, Rosalie had never particularly liked her... but even that no longer seemed to matter. "I know the feeling, but there is nothing more we can do. You have to find a way to forget about him." 
Jessamine said nothing. She just stared at her feet, nodding faintly. Silence fell between the two, but neither girl knew how to fill the silence. Nate lingered in both their minds, and Rosalie was reminded of the nightmares she had been having; when that beautiful face turned into complete darkness and twisted into something evil.