I woke up with a start, and fear was the first thing I felt.
For a few seconds, I couldn't understand where I was. My breathing was uneven, my heart was pounding, and the horrible images from the dream were still playing inside my head as though they had actually happened.
I knew it had only been a dream.
I knew that.
But it had felt real. Far too real.
I pulled my knees toward my chest and wrapped my arms around my legs. Tears began slipping down my face, quietly at first, until I couldn't stop them.
I didn't know how long I stayed like that.
Minutes?
An hour?
I had no idea.
"Rose?"
I lifted my head slightly.
My brother was sitting beside me on the bed, looking at me with concern.
"Why are you crying?"
The moment I saw him, whatever little control I had left disappeared. I threw my arms around him. I stiffened for a second, clearly surprised by the sudden hug, but then his arms came around me.
His warmth. His familiar presence. His sweater beneath my fingers. Just a few minutes ago, in that nightmare, I had lost all of this.
And now he was here.
Alive.
I held onto him as tightly as I could.
"I lost," I whispered.
My voice trembled. "I lost to him."
My face was buried against his sweater, and the words came out between quiet sobs.
"He shot you, and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't protect you."
My grip tightened. "I hate him."
I took a shaky breath. "I'll kill him."
My voice broke again.
"Brother, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I couldn't protect you."
He gently rubbed my back, probably trying to understand what had happened to me.
But how could I explain it?
How could I tell him that I had just watched him die?
That I had watched Jackson die too?
That Logan had stood there while I begged him to stop?
And that the worst part wasn't even the dream itself.
It was how real my fear of Logan had felt.
I didn't understand it. Why was I afraid of him? He had frightened me before, yes. He had angered me, irritated me, and challenged me.
But this was different. This fear felt deeper.
As though some part of me already knew something my mind hadn't figured out yet.
I pulled back slightly and wiped my tears with the back of my hand.
"I won't let it happen," I whispered.
My voice was barely audible.
"I won't let anything happen to you."
I looked at my brother. "I can't."
The fear returned the moment I remembered the dream.
I'm scared. I hated admitting it, even to myself.
But I was. Terrified.
I buried my face against him again, holding onto him as though letting go would somehow make the dream come true.
"I won't let it happen," I whispered once more.
I repeated it like a promise. Like an order.
Like something I could force the world to obey.
I will make sure it obeys.
Eventually, exhaustion overtook the fear.
Still holding onto my brother, I slowly drifted back to sleep.
This time, I prayed there would be no dreams waiting for me.
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ROSEN
I tucked her into bed as Jackson stood outside, waiting for me.
He still feels like part of my imagination.
I looked at him for a moment before asking, "Do you know anything about the person she was talking about?"
He was quiet for a moment, then shook his head.
"Let's go sit outside." He gestured toward the door.
I tried to follow him, but my legs were already beginning to wobble. That familiar weakness was creeping in again. I needed to sit down. Quickly.
"I can't hold on any longer. My legs hurt. Let's just go to my room."
"Then let me help."
Before I could protest, he slipped one arm beneath my legs and the other behind my back, lifting me effortlessly off the floor.
I froze.
No.
Absolutely not.
He was carrying me.
Like this.
This was humiliating.
Girls are carried this way.
I glanced at Jackson.
Not boys.
I corrected myself immediately.
Not men.
I'm a man now.
"Jackson, put me down." I lowered my voice, glancing toward the hallway. "This is humiliating. What if someone sees me like this?"
Jackson only smirked.
"Then we'll be even. You humiliated me back then. Now it's my turn to return the favor."
I stared at him. "You still remember that?"
"Of course I do."
His smile widened.
"Now let me humiliate you a little. Consider it your punishment for shutting me out all those years."
Unbelievable.
I sighed and covered my face with one hand.
After all these years, this is how our reunion goes?
"Now let go, we're out."
ROSEN
He still didn't let go.
Not until we reached the garden.
I was beginning to wonder if he had decided to carry me around the entire district just to make good on his promise to humiliate me.
Thankfully, he finally lowered me onto a chair.
"Much better," I muttered, adjusting myself.
Jackson ignored my complaint and reached into his pocket.
The moment I saw what he pulled out, I froze.
A chain.
One I knew very well. My eyes widened.
"You still have this?"
Jackson looked down at it for a moment.
"This one's yours."
His voice had suddenly lost its teasing edge.
"You left me, Rosen. It took you only a few days to end our friendship, and..." He paused. "That hurt."
I stared at him. I hadn't expected that.
Not after all the jokes. Not after the laughter. Not after years of pretending that what happened between us hadn't mattered.
"You think I wanted to leave?"
He didn't answer.
"Nothing was in my hands," I said quietly.
Before I could say anything else, he leaned forward and slipped the chain over my head.
I blinked.
Then he grinned.
"If someone saw us from behind right now, they'd probably think we were kissing."
He laughed.
"What?"
"Look behind you."
I reluctantly turned around. And immediately regretted it.
Aunt May was standing by the kitchen window.
Watching us.
Of course.
I quickly turned back, my face burning.
Sigh.
What was she going to think? Nobody had ever spoken to me with this much shamelessness before.
Then again, this was Jackson.
I pushed him away.
"Just one word." I glared at him. "Pervert."
He laughed, but his expression changed soon after, becoming noticeably more serious.
"Rosen, you said your sister tells you everything, right?"
"Yes."
"Then she must have told you about the person she was talking about earlier."
I frowned.
"No. I don't know anything about him."
I looked at Jackson carefully. "But you do, don't you?"
"Of course I do. He's our general."
He leaned back in his chair.
"But I have a few assumptions."
I nodded for him to continue.
"He's the eldest son of the Hawk family. Cold, distant, and hardly interacts with anyone unless necessary. But with Rose..." He paused thoughtfully. "He was surprisingly talkative."
My brows furrowed.
"I think he knew that the Rosen there was actually a girl."
What?
That couldn't be possible.
Could it?
"Maybe he was curious about her," Jackson continued. "Wanted to know more about her."
I shook my head. "Nah. That's not possible."
Then I hesitated.
Or is it?
"If he knew, then why didn't he tell anyone?"
After all, Logan belonged to the enemy.
If he'd discovered Rose's identity, he could have exposed her at any moment, so there had to be a reason he hadn't. And if this really had happened, why hadn't Rose told me?
Jackson shrugged.
"I don't know exactly. But there was one moment that made me suspicious."
He leaned forward.
"I was talking to her, and that Hawk gave me a certain look."
I raised an eyebrow. "And Rose?"
"She wasn't much intimidated, I think."
Jackson paused.
"That was when I realized it."
"What?"
"He looked jealous."
I stared at him. "Jealous?"
"Yeah. Jealous. That's the best word for it."
He gave me a knowing look. "I think he likes your sister. That's why he didn't expose her identity."
I remained silent.
"Are you sure about this?" I finally asked. "It's not as though I don't know my sister."
I knew Rose.
She would never lower her gaze simply because the person standing in front of her was dangerous. Even if that person could kill her, she would stare him straight in the eyes. That was the sort of person she is.
Jackson nodded.
"Well, it looked that way to me. Maybe an assumption."
He paused.
"There was another incident, though. After her punishment, she couldn't walk properly. He picked her up and carried her away."
My expression immediately changed. "Punishment?"
"Yeah."
"How hard was it?"
"Ten laps around the base."
My eyes widened. I didn't know how much of an area it was, but I had rough knowledge.
"Ten?"
"Trust me, everyone was ordered to do them. But after two laps, we were practically dead."
He shook his head.
"Those two laps were exhausting. I couldn't believe it when I heard she'd completed all ten."
The more he spoke, the worse I felt.
She went through all that?
And I hadn't even been there.
I was her brother. I should have been there. I should have protected her.
Instead, she had gone through it alone.
I clenched my hands.
I need to ask her.
I already knew she wouldn't tell me willingly.
"What about him?" I asked.
Jackson looked at me.
"What do you mean?"
"What do you think she liked about him?"
He went silent.
I waited. Nothing.
"Jackson."
Still nothing.
I frowned.
"Jackson, tell me. Did she like that guy?"
If the answer was yes, this was going to become painfully awkward.
"I don't know exactly," he finally said. "They seemed fine at first, but then they had a fight."
"A fight?"
"I couldn't hear what they were saying. They were inside the gym, and all the windows and doors were closed."
He chuckled. "But whatever they were arguing about, that fight was quite impressive."
I stared at him.
"How impressive?"
"She punched him."
My eyes widened.
"She kicked him, too."
I blinked.
"And then she simply walked out."
Strange.
Rose never acted aggressively unless something had seriously pushed her over the edge.
Jackson suddenly tilted his head.
"By the way, what's her ideal type?"
I gave him a blank look.
"How would I know?"
He looked far too pleased with himself.
"Well... he's tall, has black hair and black eyes, and he's quite handsome."
I stared at him.
Then I narrowed my eyes. "Why do I feel like you already know the answer?"
I guess this is it. I should have at least seen a picture of him.
Rose had definitely fallen for him. And if she hadn't, then she certainly had feelings for him that were too complicated to put into words.
There must be something about this man.
Something that had made Rose afraid of him and, somehow, drawn to him at the same time.
"Tell me more about him."
Jackson raised an eyebrow.
"You're asking me about him. Why?"
He leaned closer, a teasing smile spreading across his face.
"What motives do you have?"
Jackson and his cheap teasing. It never ends.
I rolled my eyes. "Just answer the question."
"Well, he's cold. Scary, too. He barely interacts with anyone. Not even his brothers."
He paused. "Except Rose, like I said."
That caught my attention.
"He's straightforward. Has a very sharp personality. The kind that makes people think twice before speaking to him."
Jackson tilted his head.
"And he's attractive."
I stared at him.
"He's handsome, too. Although not as handsome as you."
He grinned. "Hehehe."
I sighed.
Why did I even ask?
"Oh, and there was something else."
"What?"
"When I was talking to your sister on the day of the championship, he disqualified me."
I frowned.
"Championship of what?"
"Aim shooting. Guns and arrows, that sort."
"Who won?"
Jackson stared at me as though I'd just asked the stupidest question imaginable.
"What kind of brother are you? Of course she won."
He paused. "But..."
"But what?"
"The winner had to face the general in the final match."
I straightened. "So Rose won?"
"Well, yes."
His expression became amused.
"She could have taken the victory, but she deliberately ruined her final shot."
I stared at him.
That can't be.
Rose had always been incredibly accurate.
"She told me beforehand that she was going to lose to him," Jackson continued. "She said she didn't want to take away his glory."
"She told you that?"
"Yeah."
He shrugged. "But she's still the winner, technically."
I frowned.
"What happened afterward?"
"That was when the scene I mentioned earlier happened."
He leaned back.
"I was talking to her about our bet when he suddenly appeared out of nowhere."
He coughed.
"Then he looked at me with that cold stare and asked what was between me and her."
I went quiet.
Jealous. That was the word Jackson had used.
"What kind of bet did you make?"
Jackson's grin returned.
"She said that if she won the match, she'd go with me to my district. If she lost, I'd have to come here."
I stared at him.
"But she already told you she was going to lose to the general before the match."
"Exactly."
He pointed at me. "Which means I'm technically in her debt."
I rubbed my forehead.
This was becoming more confusing by the second.
"She wanted you here." Jackson's smile faded slightly. "That's what I think."
"That's why she made that bet. Coming here simply because of a bet isn't a coincidence."
I looked toward the house. "Something is fishy. I can feel it."
Jackson shrugged.
"Could be."
Then he smiled again. "But I don't mind."
I didn't answer.
Rose is hiding something. Something important. Something that only she knew.
And whatever it was, I had a feeling it had something to do with that general.