Fifteen

Unfathomable

  All Tom did in his free time these days was watch Rosalie.

  Every moment of his life was filled with her, revolving around her. He couldn't let her out of her sight for more than a few moments, because he was afraid she would slip away. In her absence, he found himself consumed by thoughts of her: her intoxicating scent, the lingering taste of her lips, the melody of her voice echoing in his mind. Even in the depths of his restless dreams, she haunted him, a persistent presence that refused to be ignored.

  And when he couldn't sleep because of his thoughts of her, he would release them the only way he could, and end up standing in her dorm room for hours on end just watching her sleep, listening to her shift and turn, her conscious locked deep in her body.

  He was meant to meet with some of his new recruits in a few minutes, but he couldn't yet bring himself to walk away from her unmoving body. He would search all over her face in those moments, desperately searching for her next breath; it always came, but the fear of it not coming stayed with Tom all the same.

  Reluctantly, he finally pulled himself away, leaving the room quickly so he wouldn't be able to change his mind. He entered the common room with confidence, his hands in his pockets and jaw clicked.

  As he had expected, he saw three heads over the back of the couch, awaiting his arrival expectantly. Tom had only managed to convince one other student to join them for the meeting, but it seemed William and Coriolanus had managed two, which had surprised him.

  He walked over to them and sat himself down in the armchair across from the couch. He leant over his knees and ran his tongue over his teeth, sending the boys on the couch into a fury of nervousness at Tom's quiet manner.

  "I'm glad you're all here." He said quietly, his mind still fixed on Rosalie's sleeping face. He wanted this over with so he could go back and see her.

  "Before we really begin this initiation, I'm curious as to what really made you come." Tom finally looked at the three of them.

  Dolohov, a family previously connected to Grindelwald.

  Malfoy, all filthy rich and open muggle haters.

  Mulcifer, a family that liked to keep it in the family.

  Tom was in no position to judge. He needed people, and quickly.

  Malfoy seemed the most eager to speak, and Tom listened intently to what he had to say. It was too early to scare them off.

  "Well, it was that girl that convinced Dolohov and I. She made it all seem so clear as to what we wanted. She said that only you would be able to get us what we wanted."  

  "Girl?" Tom questioned, a sickening feeling in his stomach.

  "Rosalie?" He asked again when there was no immediate reply.

  "That was it." Malfoy replied, suddenly remembering.

  "She was the one who convinced you to join me?"

---

  Rose and Lily sat in their usual study spots in the library that Friday afternoon, neither having much reason to do anything else.

  "I'm so bored."

  Lily pushed her supplies on the desk away from her, leaning back into her chair with folded arms and a fed up look. Her eyes begged at Rosalie to say something interesting.

  Rosalie dropped her quill and let her face rest on her hands, gazing off somewhere into the distance, she took a breath and spoke. 

  "I know. I miss Tom." 

  "Pardon?" Lily replied quickly, a gross look on her face.

  Rose closed her eyes, noticing how horrible that sounded.

  "No, I mean, in the sense that he always has something witty and annoying to say." She opened her eyes as she tried to convince Lily. Her friends face remained unpleased from what she had said.

  "At least it stimulates my brain." She shrugged her shoulders, giving up on trying to convince Lily of anything.

  Lily shook her head.

  "I'm surprised he's not here right now." She leant back in and peered over at the work Rosalie was finishing off.

  "Me too." Rose picked up her cup of water from the table and took a sip, "It's like he doesn't even trust me to tie my own shoelaces. He's always nearby. I don't know what's wrong with him." Rosalie agreed further with her friend.

  Lily shook her head again. 

  "You're such an idiot." She chuckled, her mind going exactly to what she knew about Tom's feelings for her friend. 

  Rose smiled, a natural response she gave when she didn't understand what someone had told her. 

  "What do you mean?" She asked, her eyes shifting from Lily and moving to a figure behind her that walked closer to them. Lily noticed her friends disinterest and let the topic go.

  "Never mind." She blinked, going to look where Rosalie was looking.

  Daniel approached them slowly, seeming to not want to intrude on the conversation they were having. He smiled greatly when the two of them noticed his presence.

  "Hey." Daniel first spoke to Rosalie, who was grinning widely. That fact didn't escape Lily's notice, and had even her blushing by his politeness.

  "Hi." Rosalie greeted him back, "This is my friend Lily." She added quickly to make the whole situation smoother. Lily gave him a small nod.

  "Nice to meet you." He said deeply, his eyes not taking too long to move back to Rose.

  Rose found herself taken aback by Daniel's sudden willingness to talk with her again. After all, she had thought that Tom's actions had damaged their relationship, forever casting her in a different light in Daniel's eyes. But apparently she was wrong.

  Daniel looked at her with affection that she had never felt.

  "Sorry to interrupt, but I just wanted to ask if both of you were busy this evening?" He asked, his eye contact still sitting solely on Rose.

  Rose looked at Lily with a raised eyebrow.

  "No, we're not. We were actually just talking about how bored we were." She chuckled, to the delight of Daniel. He gleamed at hearing the news.

  "That's great then. We're having a party in the Gryffindor common room tonight. Would the both of you care to join?" He finally pulled himself away to give Lily some attention too, however she didn't seem to mind him doting on her friend that was in need of it.

  "Is that even a question? We'll be there." Lily said matter of factly, and both Daniel and Rosalie laughed at the eagerness she held in her voice. 

  The man nodded with glee and gave Rosalie one last charming look before turning around and leaving them be again. Both girls watched his backside as he walked away, Lily with a larger smile than Rose.

  "What the hell are you doing with Riddle when that handsome hunk is begging for you?" Lily turned to face Rosalie with full seriousness.

  Rosalie just chuckled. "He's not begging for me." She looked down at her paper, picking up her quill again.

  "You really are blind. If it was anymore obvious he would've been on his knees crying for your attention." 

  Rose shot Lily a look, telling her to keep quiet because the conversation was getting old. Lily did shut her mouth, but not because of Rosalie, but because of the tall shadowy man standing behind her. 

  Rosalie didn't seem to notice, sighing as she replied.

  "I'm just glad we've got something to do tonight."

  "What are you doing tonight?" Tom finally spoke from behind her, and Rosalie jumped and quickly shot her head behind her, looking up. She settled slightly when she realised it was just Tom.

  "None of your business- and stop lurking around me it's getting creepy." Rose turned back to her work, and Lily sat wondering how she could remain so comfortable when Riddle was so closely stuck to her back.

  As Tom chuckled, Lily couldn't help but feel a twinge of disbelief. She questioned whether her senses were deceiving her when she witnessed an actual smile grace Tom's lips in response to Rose's words. The realisation only served to reinforce Lily's growing belief about the depth of Tom's feelings for Rose. A sense of unease settled over her as she wondered the consequences for her friend, knowing all too well the dangers of becoming entangled with someone like Tom.

  "You act like you hate it Rosie," Tom's hand placed itself on Rosalie's shoulder, and started moving her hair back out of her face. "But we both know you love it."

  Lily could've thrown herself off of the astronomy tower at what she was hearing.

  Rose reached for Tom's hand and pushed it away. But he grabbed it before she could do anything else, and sat down beside her, his grip remaining firm.

  "A Gryffindor party was it?" He asked, and had Rosalie wondering why he had even bothered questioning her if he already knew.

  "Mhm." Rosalie hummed, looking down at her parchment hopelessly.

  "Wonderful, when are we going?" His smile appeared forced, prompting a pang of guilt within Lily as she grappled with the reality of her friends fabricated relationship.

  Tom was unaware that Lily knew any different, and played up his affection even more. However, this deep into Tom's mind, he couldn't tell if he was pretending anymore.

  "You weren't invited." Rose finally looked at him with wide and annoyed eyes.

  Tom smiled at her.

  "But I'm coming."

  "No you're not." Rose was verging on angry. She hated that he always wanted to be near her, because whenever he was he had her questioning things that shouldn't even be questioned.

  "I would never let you go alone. Something could happen to you." There was a softness in Tom's voice that indicated he was speaking only the truth. These days he never let her out fo his sight.

  Rose looked at Lily, who also seemed astounded from everything she had just heard.

  "Fine. Just don't ruin my fun." 

---

  It was almost nine and Lily and Rosalie had run off to the party before Tom had a chance to meet them. They stood outside of the painting, the entrance to the common room while waiting to be let in.

  "Won't he be angry?" Lily asked after a long moment of silence.

  "Yeah, he will." Rose said. She was used to him being angry, she was sure she could handle it later. She seemed to be the only one immune to his frustration.

  "And you're not scared?" Lily asked, knowing she would be if she was in Rose's positon.

  "He can't hurt me. He needs me to get what he wants." Rose brushed down her dress, black and sleeveless, shorter than her usual ones. Lily was wearing something similar but with sleeves and in red.

  Both of them stood in silence for another few minutes, Lily not sure what to do or say in order to comfort her friend in the bizarre situation she was in. Eventually, they heard the sound of footsteps approaching from the very direction they came in.

  Tom emerged from the stairs in a casual black dress shirt and black pants, his eyes immediately and incessantly moving themselves over Rose's body. Lily sighed at the realisation that their plans to leave him hadn't worked.

  "What are you wearing?" Tom asked Rose.

  She found herself taken aback, looking down at her dress, thinking it was fine.

  "A dress." She spoke back sarcastically.

  At last, a faint sound signaled the unlocking of the door concealed behind the painting. The trio turned their attention toward the source, revealing a long corridor leading to the common room stretched out before them. Lily exchanged a meaningful glance with Rose and Tom before pressing her lips together in contemplation.  

  "You two can fight without me. I'll see you inside Rose." She nodded at her friend with a sorrowful face, and quickly walked down the corridor.

  Rosalie looked back at Tom, who's eyes were still on her dress, or rather, the skin it wasn't covering.

  "Go put something else on." He said quickly, walking passed her towards the door. She watched him carefully, head ready to explode in her frustration.

  "No." She said, which made him stop. He didn't look back at her.

  "It wasn't a request Rosie."

  She huffed and walked up to him, dragging his shoulder so he faced her again. He looked down at her with dark and unaffectionate eyes. 

  "Who are you to tell me what to do? You've been getting on my nerves lately with all this extra bothering me. I'm doing what you want. I'm making you your damn horcrux, I'm recruiting your damn slaves, everything will be ready by the end of next week. All I'm asking you in return is to not be a pain in my ass." She spat at him. 

  Now it was her turn to walk away. She had made it halfway through the corridor before Tom caught up with her again, this time grabbing her on the shoulder.

  "I'm sorry. You're right, you've done more than I've asked of you." His eyes suddenly turned warmer, his heart unfreezing itself at the thought of her doing something to help him.

  "But if you're going to wear that dress you can't leave my side." Tom spoke again, trying to keep his eyes off of her cleavage and the way that black dress hung around her body. It was sending his mind into a frenzy, and sent his dick hardening.

  "And why not?" She asked, oblivious to the affect she had on men. Perhaps if she had spent more time out of her home when she was a teenager she would've caught on to the affects of her own good looks.

  Tom shuffled in his place, his eyes wondering. "Do you know how beautiful you look right now? Its hard enough for me-" He had to look away from her before his mind got anymore ideas. He hardened his jaw and looked back at her face, still regaining composure from the compliment.

  "Let's just go." He held out his hand for her to take. She looked at it for a moment with reluctance, but soon grabbed it back.

  The two of them walked into the party. Tom manoeuvred them to the corner of the room, where Rosalie quickly noticed that Ben was standing, a drink in his hand. The music coming from the stereo was loud, and the room was too packed with people to properly move. 

  Rose earned a few looks from passer by's, but she didn't feel too bad about it holding onto Tom's hand. She hated to admit it but she was beginning to like the warmth it gave her.

  Finally reaching Ben's location, Rose made a concerted effort to avoid meeting his gaze, a sentiment seemingly reciprocated by Ben. Tom observed the awkward exchange between them and couldn't help but roll his eyes in exasperation.  

  "Ben, say hello to my girlfriend, or I'll hex the life out of you again." He cocked his neck, and Rose felt her stomach flip at him calling her his girlfriend, completely ignoring the mention of him hexing someone.

  She tilted around the side of Tom to give Ben a nod, suddenly feeling guilt wash over her again.

  "Hello Rosalie." He said, his jaw tightened.

  Tom had already gotten bored of the exchange, looking off somewhere into the crowd of people.

  "She says that it'll be ready by the end of next week. Will you also be ready by then?" Tom asked Ben, tilting his head closer.

  Ben shot Rose a look, his entire face screaming his dislike and mistrust of her. 

  "I will. However, it would really be in your interest to meet with Malfoy tonight to discuss-" He paused when he looked at Rosalie again. "Well, you know." 

  Tom shook his head and looked back down to his side and at Rosalie's body.

  "I can't leave her right now. It'll have to be done at a different time." He spoke sternly, his mind occasionally going back to the feeling of her hand on his.

  Rose sighed, "It's okay just go. I won't die." She laughed, suddenly trying to free herself out of Tom's hand under both his and Ben's watchful gaze.

  "It'll be much simpler if it's done tonight. It won't take long, Riddle." Ben asked him again, insisting on meeting Malfoy. Rose could only imagine it was about money.

  Tom finally let go of her hand, and Rosalie felt free enough that she might be able to enjoy herself.

  "I'll return in ten minutes. Wait here, or there will be consequences," Tom asserted firmly, locking eyes with Rose. His overwhelming charisma left her with an undeniable urge to heed his command.

  But as she watched Tom and Ben leave the party, she found herself wondering around in search of a drink. Rose had made it to the middle of the dance floor when she was offered some sort of alcohol in a red cup. 

  She glanced up to see who offered the drink, finding Daniel's handsome face smiling down at her.

  "I'm glad to see you came!" he yelled over the blasting music. Rose accepted the drink eagerly, downing it within seconds.

  "Me too!" She laughed. Daniel took the cup from her and led her to a quieter area, offering her another drink, which she promptly consumed.

  Daniel chuckled. "Someone's eager to get drunk. I'd slow down if I were you."

  Rose just shook her head, picking up another from the table and handing it to Daniel. 

  "I'll tell you what, I have no idea where Lily is, so you're my drinking partner for the moment. If you get me drunk enough to have fun, I'll make sure you get the highest marks for our project." Her cheeks were already red, and her teeth were showing out of her smile. Daniel knew it wouldn't be long until she was drunk enough to make a mistake.

  He shook his head, agreeing with his smile instead.

  "Alright. Deal. Get me another shot then, Miss Evans."

---

  Tom's hands were sweating with worry by the time he made it to the Gryffindor common room again, it had been thirty minutes since he had last been there, and that was too long a time to have left Rosie alone in such a chaotic situation.

  He pushed himself aggressively through the crowd to the place he had told her to stay, and unsurprisingly, she was no longer there. Tom turned around in search of her blonde hair, it took him a while, but eventually he saw the back of her head. Daniel stood in front of her, red faced and smiling, a hand on her arm.

  "We should really do this more- you're pretty." He said in a bit of a slur. Rosalie looked back at Daniel laughing without cause. She held her hand up to her face.

  "Really?" She chuckled some more, not noticing Tom slowly gaining on them.

  It was only seconds before Tom was next to them, frustration and anger glued to his sharp features as he pushed Daniels arm away from Rosie.

  "Get off of her." He growled, stepping in front of her unnecessarily.

  "Tom!" Daniel greeted, an over friendly tone in his voice that only made Tom angrier. He clicked his jaw, but one thing stopped him from punching the guy square in the face, Rosalie's hand rested itself on Tom's shoulder.

  He turned around immediately, searching her face for any sign of why she had to go and talk to him.

  "Didn't I tell you to stay the hell over there?" he shouted at her in his charming British accent, pointing back to where they had been before. All he could discern was confusion and hurt etched across her face.

  Couldn't she see that he was hurting too?

  "Don't be a jerk, Tom," she managed to slur out from her obviously intoxicated state.He shook his head in frustration.

  "We're leaving," he declared, grabbing onto Rosalie's hand and attempting to pull her away. But when he glanced back, he realised she was resisting his tug. 

  They both looked at each other angrily. Tom had bottled up every single feeling he felt for her and it was nearing the point of explosion. He couldn't understand himself anymore, every action he took seemed influenced by her to the point where she was his entire life, the lone object of his deranged affection.

  Rosalie couldn't understand him either, his bipolar states of hating her then obsessing over her. She wanted to believe it was because he felt something for her, but she knew that road could only be one of disaster and torment. She wasn't sure if Tom could love, and she didn't want to be the test subject. Rose knew where that would end up, because she had lived under the love of someone like Tom.

  "Don't, Tom." She said as soberly as possible.

  Tom looked at her, hating her just as much as he loved her.

  "We're leaving." He reiterated, walking over to her.

  She was too drunk she could barely understand what was happening, she felt herself passing out as Tom leant down and threw her over his shoulder, staggering out of the common room as people watched them. The last thing she could remember was Tom's face, gazing down at her with his usual unreadable expression.

---

  Tom had spent most of the night watching her until he was too tired he could barely keep his eyes open. He had taken Rosalie to his room that night, and had her tucked under his blankets, in only her undergarments. Tom wasn't bothered to look at her in that way just yet, he only worried if she would have a headache the next morning when she woke up.

  When he did finally decide to go to sleep, he argued with himself if it was acceptable to sleep in his bed with her, or if it was more gentlemanly to sleep on the floor. He knew what the answer was, but he couldn't help himself to be closer to her.

  He undressed into his own undergarments and slid under the covers, at first he stayed as far away from her as he could, simply watching her breath rise and fall, watching her hair fall out of place as she moved quietly.

After a prolonged period of watching, he inched closer, maintaining a respectful distance but closing the gap enough to catch a whiff of her coconut-scented shampoo. His mind became consumed by thoughts of her, mingled with haunting nightmares of what might have transpired had he left her unattended for longer.

He berated himself for not preventing her from attending that party in the first place.

At this point, Tom could no longer deny it to himself. He was undeniably in love with her. Everything about her was intoxicating to the point that his thoughts were dangerous. He knew how far he would go to protect her, and as it was a double edged sword, how hurt he would be if she betrayed him.

  He didn't know how she had made him fall in love. Perhaps it was her smile, her laugh, her attitude, the way she smelled, the way she spoke, the way she looked into his eyes, the way she gripped at his hand and bit at his lips when they kissed.

  He looked at her sleeping so peacefully in that bed and closed his eyes, feeling complete serenity at her close proximity.

---

  Rosalie stirred awake without opening her eyelids. The remnants of last night's activities left her feeling too lethargic even for such a simple task. Wrapped in the cocoon of warmth provided by the bed, she found herself unwilling to leave its comforting embrace.

Eventually, she relented and opened her eyes, her lashes fluttering as her surroundings gradually came into focus. To her surprise, Tom's face loomed mere centimetres away, his arm serving as the very pillow she found so inviting.

At the realisation of their intertwined bodies beneath the blankets, she also noticed her leg draped over Tom's frame, her hand resting against his bare chest. Their limbs were entangled, the skin-to-skin contact adding to the intimate positon they were in.

  Rosalie felt her eyes widen at their position, her mind blank and refusing to give her an explanation as to how she had gotten here. She could still feel her undergarments on, but she had no idea if Tom still had his on.

  Had they slept together? Had she been that drunk? She knew she liked to look at him in all his beauty, but would she really do that?

  Slowly and steadily, she ripped her skin away from Tom's body, pushing herself out of Tom's bed with guilt and curiousity filling her mind.

  As she rose from the bed, her gaze swept across the room. Clothes lay scattered in disarray on the floor, both hers and Tom's, yet she couldn't spot any underwear amidst the clutter. It was a small relief. 

  Eventually she set her eyes on a small black book that stood out on Tom's side table. She walked closer to it, all the while wondering if it was the diary she had seen him writing in the other day.

  She picked up the journal, running her fingers over the cover which offered little indication of its contents. Rosalie glanced over at Tom's peaceful sleeping form, grappling with the urge to uncover the secrets hidden within. Despite her hesitation, she couldn't resist her own curiosity.

  With a decisive movement, Rose flipped to the last page Tom would have written on.

Wednesday, 19th December

  I find myself in the grip of a dilemma that I can't simply get rid of as I usually would in such a situation. In the orphanage I learned that love should be regarded as a weakness. However, these past few months it has insidiously crept into my heart, entwining itself around my every thought and emotions.

  I used to obsess over creating a horcrux, but I wasn't aware that that obsession would bring me another, a girl whose mere presence commands my attention with an intensity I cannot comprehend. Rosie promised she would give me what I wanted, but now I'm finding my desires shifting, a Horcrux not seeming nearly as important if she doesn't stick to my side as she says she would.

  Rosie haunts me every waking moment. Despite my highest convictions about such a useless emotion as love, I find myself irresistibly drawn to her. I cannot shake, however hard I try, the pull that she exerts over me.

  It's a paradoxical situation. Rosie believes I'm one of them- a hypocritical boy that hates and wants to put my own kind to extinction. I have long espoused beliefs that put down half bloods and mud bloods. Yet, in my own opinions I harbour no genuine animosity towards them. Rather, such a rhetoric serves as a ploy to rally such pureblood elites to my cause. Minds like theirs are the easiest to manipulate and bend to my will in which one day I will use to lead over this country. I know Rosie can see right through me, but about this I am not sure.

  But now, I'm faced with the prospect of a life without Rosie. I am sure she is still hiding something from me, or has no real intention to give me a horcrux. I am confronted with the start realisation that all my ambitions, my aspirations for supremacy, pale in comparison to the prospect of her absence from my side.

  Rosie is my new source of life without which I cannot live. Her presence soothes me. I worry for her every waking moment. I want her as mine.

  In her presence, I am torn between my ambition for power and the vulnerability of love. Can I truly forsake one for the other? Is there a way to connect my conflicting desires, to find solace in a world where my love for her does not equate to weakness? I think that with her, I will always have a weakness.

  Rose dropped the diary to the floor, the thud of it waking Tom up quickly. The blanket fell passed his chest, and both of them quite literally felt naked in front of each other. Tom realised the broken look on Rosalie's face and looked at the floor to see what she dropped.

  He saw the diary and looked up at her, who was looking at him with new eyes.

  She turned and ran.

  Rosalie had only made it to the common room when she heard Tom's steps hot on her trail. She looked around quickly, only for her heart to sink as she spotted Coriolanus seated on the couch, a cup of coffee in his hand. His gaze raked over Rosalie's figure, in only a short undergarment dress, causing a flush of discomfort to bloom across her cheeks. 

  Before Coriolanus could voice his inquiry, Tom burst into the room, underdressed in only in his boxers, his presence adding to the already charged atmosphere.

  The tension in the room was palpable as Coriolanus's expression morphed from curiosity to jealousy, his eyes flashing with an unmistakable hint of anger. Without a word, he rose from the couch and swiftly made his exit from the common room, leaving Rosalie and Tom to grapple with the aftermath of his abrupt departure.

  "Rosie-" Tom spoke to her now that she had calmed down slightly.

  "What did we do last night?" She asked quietly, looking away from him.

  "Absolutely nothing. Nothing happened. You were so dreadfully intoxicated I just let you sleep." Tom walked in front of her so she had no choice but to look at him. There was a pleading look on Tom's face now that Rose wouldn't have understood if she hadn't read his journal.

  Was he really in love with her? It didn't make sense.

  "Why were we half naked in a bed together!?" Rosalie shouted, not caring if she woke up the entire castle with her questions.

  "Do you think so little of me?" Tom asked, walking towards her. Rose took a step back.

  "Yes." Her voice was sharp and cut through Tom like a knife. He closed his mouth and felt himself breathe.

  He swallowed and looked down.

  "I would never do that to a woman- let alone you." Rosalie heard his voice tender at the word you.

  Rosalie laughed, Unsure what else to do. She held her hand up to her mouth and started biting down on her nails, playing with the red ribbon on her wrist. She looked off somewhere in the distance.

  "So, you would kill a woman, but not take advantage of one? I don't believe it." Her head twitched, and Tom let her have her space.

  "I would kill anyone for a good reason Rosie." He breathed quietly, using his wand to summon him a shirt and pants. He got changed as Rosalie watched with frustration.

  "Is that supposed to soothe me?" She barked.

He looked down to button his pants, and bit down on his jaw at her stubbornness.

  "Unlike you, I won't lie about who I am. I would kill for you. That alone should tell you that I wouldn't do anything to hurt you." He looked up at her, now dressed, and walked towards her. This time, she let him. 

  He stood close enough to hear her breaths.

  "Why would you kill someone for me?" She asked, not getting it. To Tom it was the simplest thing in the world. If you loved something, weren't you supposed to protect it?

  There was a pause in the conversation.

  "You've already read my thoughts, Love."

  Rosalie shivered at her nickname, looking down and finally admiring the way his chest looked in the shirt he wore. She remembered how it felt to have her hand on his bare chest, what their skin felt like after hours of touching.

"Say it."

  Tom leaned in closer to her, his gaze lingering on every delicate feature of her face. He bit the inside of his cheek, grappling with the weight of his confession.

  "I'm in love with you," he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper, laden with vulnerability.

  "What?" Rose's eyes widened in disbelief, despite having heard the words uttered before in his writing.

  Tom swallowed, his nerves palpable. "Don't make me say it again."

  For a fleeting moment, they remained locked in a tense silence, Tom anxiously awaiting her response. Rosalie couldn't fathom it.

  "Perhaps in your own mind, you believe you're in love with me." She started, and Tom already felt cold. 

  "But even if you would kill for me, you wouldn't die for me. You're not capable of genuine love," she retorted, her words laced with skepticism and a tinge of sadness.

  With tears threatening to spill from her eyes, Rose turned on her heel and exited the room. It wasn't that she didn't have feelings for Tom; rather, it was the longing for his genuine affection that pierced her heart. She yearned for a love that she wasn't convinced he could offer her yet.

  She wasn't sure if he could ever offer her it, for the life that she saw with him only seemed dark and dull and full of death; a life that she had only just left.