Route 7 Review | Page 154

the man he used to be. It wasn’t just the outside want to know what happened to you to make you that had been damaged, but he wasn’t the same this way. Thinking that you’re not worthy of me. on the inside either. He was violent and errat- Thinking that you’re not worth anything.” She ic. He couldn’t let Rosa catch even a glimpse of lied down next to him, and reached up to touch what lay dormant inside of him, and often erupt- his face but he grabbed her hand. “It’s okay.” she ed to the surface. He didn’t want her to know that whispered tenderly. “Let go.” he was as much a monster on the inside as he was on the outside. He swallowed his anxiety and dropped his hand. Rosa gently grazed her fingertips across the Sean kicked the door shut, toweled off, and scar embedded with ruby particles that covered pulled on his boxers and jeans, then flopped onto the side of his face. He inhaled sharply when her the bed and threw his arm over his face. And lips replaced her fingers and his body tightened tried to figure out his next move. instinctively. It had been so long since he’d felt When he heard the door open, he groaned. “I don’t want to talk about it mum.” “I can’t believe you were actually going to let me walk away.” her touch, her lips. How had he been able to stay away from her for so long? “Tell me what happened.” He took a deep breath. “The tour lasted three Sean moved his arm and saw Rosa standing years. My last day over there, my men and I by the door. “I’m not going to stop you from do- were doing a routine sweep, then there was an ing what you choose to do.” explosion in the mine nearby, and it collapsed. “How about if I choose to love you no mat- We could hear men inside shouting for help. My ter what?” three subordinates and I were the only soldiers “What is there to love?” there, I told them we had to go in and get those “How can you ask me that Sean? You know men out. They wanted to wait for back up, but I me.” told them everyone could be dead by then, we had “But you don’t know me Rosalie. Not anymore.” to get them out before the mine collapsed further. “Then tell me. Please.” she walked into the I went in, and they followed me. We got out all room and closed the door. “What happened over the miners, or we thought we did. We heard a there?” faint shout come from inside the mine, we went He shook his head. “I don’t want to think back in, then there was another explosion. When about it. I don’t want to talk about it.” I came to, my whole body hurt like nothing I’d She sat next to him. “I want to hear about it. I ever felt, I heard one of my men screaming in ag-