ROSETTE


    <b>81 </b>


    55 vouchers.


    Something had shifted in Axel. I didn’t know what it was or how it made me feel.


    His kiss was hard and soft, hot and cold, and he held my head gently like I was something… precious.


    It scared me and thrilled me. It scared me because it was making me feel things I’d never felt before, things I thought I was capable of feeling. And it thrilled me for that same reason. It was all happening so fast. It was all so new.


    Axel’s hands left my hair and trailed down, stroking my back slowly before it continued lower and grabbed my ass, kneading it before he lifted me, and on instinct I wrapped my legs around his waist.


    He continued to kiss me–devoured my mouth—his hard dick poking my bottom. I kissed him back as hard as I could, but I was beginning to get lightheaded from not breathing.


    In the other times we have kissed, Axel would have broken the kiss<b>, </b>giving me time <i>to </i>catch my breath. But now… now he didn’t seem like he was nning to stop. He wasn’t even slowing down.


    Was he even human? Didn’t he also need to breathe? I pushed against his chest, trying to break the kiss, but Axel’s hold on me only tightened, deepening the kiss.


    “A–Axel,” I gasped against his lips, still trying to break the kiss. “Axel, I–I need t–to b–brea–breathe.”


    I punched his chest hard, and Axel went still, his body more still than a statue. He broke the kiss slowly, pulling his head away, and I coughed as air rushed back to my lungs, resting my head on his shoulder as my body shook.


    Oh no… That wasn’t me; it was Axel. He was shaking–no, he was damn trembling.


    I raised my head to see him staring at me with his eyes wide with fear. With horror. That got my heart racing in fear. What was wrong?


    “Axel-”


    55 vouchers


    “Obsession,” he muttered absentmindedly, his shaking increasing, his hold on me loosening until I got back on my feet.


    My brows furrowed in confusion. “What-”


    “Addiction,” he muttered again, running a shaking hand through his hair. He cursed softly, turning his back to me. Then he cursed again, this time loud and


    harsh.


    I reached out to him, touching his back softly, but then he flinched away from me, still not looking at me.


    “I’m sorry,” he says softly, walking away. “Meet me in the car when you’re ready.”


    He continued walking without once looking back at me. I stood still, my hand still reaching out. I withdrew my hand slowly, looking at it like it was a stranger.


    What was that just now? And I wasn’t even talking about Axel or whatever was wrong with him. I was talking about the hurt I just felt. The hurt and the need tofort him. What the hell was that? I didn’t get hurt; I didn’t offerfort. So just… just what the hell was that?


    See, this was why I was afraid. This was why I was fucking scared. Because these… these damn emotions are confusing and are making my head hurt. It was making my heart race, ache, and hurt.


    I hated it. I hated it so damn much and I didn’t want to feel it again. I never want to feel these emotions again. I would rather stay in the territory I was familiar with -and those were hate, rage, and lust. But I wasn’t so sure about the lust anymore because that was whatnded me in this mess, to begin with.


    ***


    The ride back was silent; it wasn’t tense, it wasn’t awkward, it was just silent, because both of us were lost in our heads, deep in thought.


    When we finally got to the mansion, we both went our separate ways, and I tried not to think of how Axel hadn’t held the car door for me. He just left the car and walked away, his steps hurried and heavy.


    I waited until I was sure he was out of the elevator before I entered and went up.


    I


    13:03 Mon, Sep <b>8 </b>


    …


    <b>81 </b>


    55 vouchers


    stepped out of the elevator and marched to my room, needing sleep. But then a voice stopped me.


    “Rosette.” I stopped and turned, my eyesnding on Kross, thest person I expected. He was still dressed in his suit regardless of thete hour, but the jacket was off and the sleeves of the shirt were rolled up to show his muscled arms. His hair was messy, a ss on top of his nose, and he was wearing just socks on his feet.


    He looked human–and hot. Not like the cold machine I’vee to know.


    “A minute,” he said. “If you can.”


    I nodded and dragged myself to the room where he had just entered. It was an office, simple and ssy. He walked to his desk, and picked up an envelope, handing it over to me, leaning on his desk with his arms crossed when I took it, watching me.


    Watching me… They were always doing that. Always staring at me.


    I opened the envelope to see a card inside, just as he had said. I raised my head slowly to him, an eyebrow raised. “And the limit is three thousand?”


    He nodded, his face still expressionless but he looked tired. “Three thousand.”


    “Just like that?” I asked, disbelief in and evident in my voice. “No–Just like that,


    Kross<b>?</b><b>” </b>


    His nk mask cracked a little, and he looked amused. “Yes, Rosette, just like that.”


    The way he said my name, like he was giving each letter its own spotlight.


    I signed, rubbing my temple. “Okay, back in the morning, I thought you were just fucking with me, and-”


    “You thought it was just a joke and yet you quit your job?” he asked, cutting me off, his eyebrow raised and he was no longer trying to hide his amusement.


    My cheeks burned but I still kept my head high. “Yes, well, I just–Look, that’s not the point! The point here is I just can’t take this card, spending money as I like without doing anything to earn that money or work for it. It just feels… wrong.


    Okay?”


    <b>81 </b>


    55 vouchers


    All my life, I had earned my keep. Even when I was still a child. Food just wasn’t given to me like that. I had to do something before I earned it. Either Mom will make me do the dishes, or Dad will make me clean his shoes.


    I neverined, though, because I felt that was how it was. That it was normal. And then I grew up and I started working to earn money. Nothing has ever been given to me for free. Nothing. So I couldn’t just ept it. It doesn’t feel right.


    Kross continued to watch me with his arms still crossed, but the amusement was off his face. He looked like he wanted to say something but was holding on. Finally, he said, “You want to work for the money? Fine then.”


    :


    <b>81 </b>


    55 vouchers