“About what?” Rose asked, looking back at the kitten.
“About what you said. Three years ago. It’s not much of an explanation. I don’t think there is any other answer than the fact that I am jerk, but I would still like to try,” Taylor said.
Rose was silent, stroking the kitten. Taylor took it as a positive sign and continued. “Please, Rose? Let me explain. I wasn’t just being an asshole who pretended not to know you to get out of the one-night stand. Nor were you that insignificant. So, give me some of your time and let me explain.”
Rose was silent for a while and then she looked up and said, “Alright. I will listen.”
Chapter 14
Rose
Rose stood there, waiting for Taylor to speak. She didn’t know what explanation he was going to offer, but she was willing to give him a chance. She had been thinking about him non-stop the past few days. Maybe it was because he was her mate, and it was blessed with magic by the moon spirit.
“Rose, I know I am an ass. There isn’t much of an explanation. I told you that I grew up surrounded by my own friends. I didn’t have my parents or any elder to guide me. I never had a responsibility or any other purpose than to drink and party. Three years ago, things got out of hand. I started drinking a lot, became an alcoholic. I slept around like anything. Then, I started to black out. I would drink and get extremely drunk, which resulted in me blacking out. I would hang out with my friends and forget all about it when I woke up the next day. That’s what happened that night of the party. I swear. I woke up the next morning and I couldn’t remember. I completely blacked out,” Taylor said.
Rose was slowly getting more and more furious. He blacked out? That’s his explanation? Taylor seemed to sense what she was feeling because he started to stammer.
“Rose, listen. I have changed. I know I am wrong. I have always known that it was wrong. I am not proud of what I have done. I am not happy with who I am! But what am I supposed to do? I have nothing else to do. What do I have to live for?” Taylor said, his eyes were watery, and Rose could tell he was about to cry.
Rose felt her heart start to melt and she nodded at him. “Okay. I forgive you.”
Taylor nodded back, sighing. “Thank you. I understand why you wouldn’t want to be with a mate like me. No one wants to marry a man who never really grew up. You want someone responsible, someone you can trust to help you raise a family. I know that’s not me.”
He started to walk off, but Rose stopped him. “Taylor. Listen… you are a good guy…”
Taylor cut her off and said, “Don’t, Rose. You were right about me. I have always been confident and arrogant and cocky, but I have never been proud of myself. I have always boasted about my looks and my strength and my charm, but the truth is that I have never really achieved anything in my life. I thought that what I had was enough, but I just never thought of these things, you know? I never thought about what I have really done in my life. Or if I really have something to be proud of and boast about.”
Rose didn’t reply. She didn’t know what to say. She had never seen Taylor like this, so vulnerable and open.
“You have something to be proud of. You wanted to be a warrior and you have done everything in your power to become one. You had a purpose. A goal. You have done everything to achieve it, regardless of how everyone discouraged you. You have done well, Rose,” Taylor said, giving her a soft smile. He then took a deep breath and started to walk away.
Rose reached forward and grabbed his arm, stopping him. “Don’t go. I am not that great either. I know I have been acting all high and mighty, but I have been prejudiced against you for so long. I should have given you a chance to explain or found out about you before I said so many things. You are not a bad guy, Taylor.”
Rose pulled him towards the edge of the bank and made him sit down. She sat next to him and said, “I saw you, struggling with your life, three years ago. I knew about your blackouts and your drunk habits. There were so many times that I saw you hurling in a corner somewhere and I ignored you. That night we slept together, you told me that you didn’t know who you were. You said that you had nothing to live for. That when you thought of the next day, you had nothing to look forward to.”
Taylor was still looking down, quiet. Rose grabbed his hand in hers, making him look up at her in surprise. “You asked me to help you. You were showing all the signs of depression and I ignored it. Even when you said that you didn’t know me, in front of your friends, I had an idea what might have happened. But I was so hurt and offended, that I didn’t want to believe it. I wish that I had talked to you, at least asked you for an explanation. We could have had this discussion three years ago.”
Taylor was silent, staring towards the sky. “I want to change. I really do. Drinking and partying and sleeping is fun, but I want something to live for. I want to achieve something, do something. I want to make a difference. I just don’t know how to,” he whispered.
Rose sighed and said, “I know.”
“Teaching you how to fight gave me purpose. I had something to look forward to the next day. I think that’s why I started to think about myself more deeply. As a teenager, I had the best time of my life, but now, as I get older, there is this empty void. I want to be better,” Taylor said.
Rose squeezed his hand and said, “I don’t know about being your mate, Taylor. I am still confused as hell about it. But I know I want to be your friend. And I am here for you. No matter what.”
“Thank you,” Taylor said, giving her a soft smile.
Chapter 15
Rose
Rose made it to the semi-final of the championships. Defeating Brenda in the match of chess had been easy. Rose had been studying chess strategies since she was little. Beating Brenda in the match of strength however, too every bit of skill Rose had.
Out of the eight people who qualified for the quarter final, four succeeded. Rose, Harry, Jacob, and Taylor were the proud semi-finalists. To say that everyone was extremely surprised at Rose’s success was an understatement. She was easiest the smallest and the weakest of the lot, but she had stood her ground and won.
There was almost a week between the quarter finals and semi-finals. Taylor resumed training Rose once again, and even though most of their time was spent training, they had become closer to each other.
Taylor was slowly starting to get better; he had stopped drinking almost completely. It was not easy for him; his friends drank recklessly and often pressured him to do so. The change in lifestyle was exceedingly difficult for him and he struggled with it, but Rose knew that he had it in him to succeed.
