Hey guys! Sorry for such a long gap between updates, I’ve been busy recently but I am back now to complete the story, I decided it was better to leave it as a short story than to drag it on!

Thanks for the review: Garnet-earth-Princess

And on we go:

CHAPTER EIGHT

THE ONE NIGHT

The brunette yawned tiredly as she slammed her reading book shut, her eyes starting to close against her will. Decidedly, it had been a long day, seeing her father again had both exhilarated her and tired her to the point where rest was no longer an option, it was obligatory.

Rose peeled herself off from her sofa with great difficulty, part of her wanting to snuggle back down into the white cushions and fall asleep.

Sighing, she trudged down into the bathroom, brushing her teeth half heartedly, performing her night time ritual out of habit, not needing to pay attention the mundane chores.

Buried deep in the covers of her bed five minutes later, Rose let her mind shut down and delve into the sleep, her last thoughts on a familiar blond haired police inspector.

………………

Rose groaned as she heard someone repeatedly bang against her front door, the thumping pattern disturbing her dreamless sleep with a vengeance. She attempted to ignore the intrusion, but the noise was too loud and too demanding to be ignored.

Cursing under her breath, the brunette leapt out of bed, ignoring the fact she was clothed only in an oversized t-shirt and boxers she had stolen from an ex-boyfriend.

She marched over to her front door, which was shaking under the powerful knocking it was taking. This guy really has some nerve, she thought, guessing who it was unconsciously.

She felt her jaw drop as she opened the door, not out of surprise, as she guessed Josh would already be there, but out of shock.

The usually smart policeman was dressed in baggy jeans and a crinkled white t-shirt. His hair was flat and mussed, his eyes bloodshot and his breath giving away the signs of large alcohol consumption.

“What are you doing here?” She asked carefully, hoping that he was not an angry drunk.

The man in question looked at her briefly, his eyes searching hers before he slumped against the door jamb, his hand reaching up to cradle his head, groaning in pain.

With a sigh, Rose stepped forward and helped the man into her apartment, shutting the door carefully behind him, not wanting to wake her irate neighbours. She carried him over to the couch and pushed him onto it as gently as possible.

She quickly darted into the kitchen, grabbing a glass of water and some ibuprofen for the drunken man, in hope of sobering him up a little.

“So, what are you doing here?” Rose asked again, as she sat next to Josh, who was gulping the water down.

“To see you, to talk to you, what do you think?” Josh replied in a frustrated tone, placing the glass on the coffee table. She felt a brief stab of her at the predatory look in his eyes as they raked over her form.

“Well, talk to me then.” Rose retorted, sitting down next to him, careful to avoid any contact between their bodies.

“I got this girl pregnant that’s all. I don’t want to be a father, but the girl refuses to get the annoyance terminated. I have clearly stated that I will not be a part of it’s life, she seems to think I love her, how moronic.” Josh ranted, too absorbed in his words to notice the incredulous expression his companion was wearing.

“Lucy.” Rose whispered, Josh’s surprised expression validating what she already knew.

Josh was the father of Lucy’s baby, the one she was keeping, the one that would grow up without a father.

Inexplicably, the brunette started to cry, out of anger, frustration and a little jealousy. Even though she did nothing to acknowledge the policeman since she had been reunited with him, a part of her was attached to him. After all, he was one of the only people who showed her attention, and actually cared what she thought of them.

“Well, you have explained a lot tonight Mr Stevenson, you may leave now, and do not come back, you would be most unwelcome.” Rose stated, after her tears had subsided.

Blue eyes swept over her slowly, causing her to shudder involuntarily. Josh abruptly stood up, walking past her without so much of a backwards glance, slamming the front door behind him as he left he life forever.

And she was glad.

……………………

A few weeks later, Rose felt her life returning back to normal. The only time she had seen Josh was when she went to the police station to finalise her father’s return to her home.

She and her father were getting along well, with him housing the spare bedroom in her apartment. He had recently managed to find a job as a secretary at a business firm. As he said, it was a start. To Rose, she found it surprising he had managed to find a job at all.

Lucy’s pregnancy was going well, and she seemed excited about having the baby, even though the work for university was piling up at the same time. Rose had not mentioned she knew who the father was, she felt it necessary to give Lucy her last bit of protection from the harsh reality of the baby’s father.

She had learned the hard way.

But she had learned.

………………

Huge thanks to everyone who has read the story, despite its many changes and rather long publishing time. I will be back with a new story on fictionpress sometimes next year most likely. I have work on to finish and I don’t want to have 6 stories going on at once, like I have done before.

Please review, I would like to know what you felt about the ending.

Thanks again,

P.O.D