Virtually Identical

22. Reunion

ROSE

I got home with Aubrey, mentally thanking Cameron again. We stopped by a shop for me to change my clothes, the one I wore wss a little torn out because of the incident earlier. Aubrey bought me a new summer dress and I wore that home. My life finally turned towards the direction where it should have been all along. And I saw myself with Aubrey, Ash and mom in a bright future. I know it was too soon to think of a happily ever after but I was so happy that I was afraid I would wake up and this would all be a dream. After a long time, I really felt like my life has a meaning, like I was not the only one that has been through shit. Aubrey was filling me in with the details of what had happened when I was gone. Mom was not home, so it was okay to head back. I was a little nervous to see Ash, he would literally strangle me for running away and not telling him anything about my past. But deep down I knew he would be very happy to see me.

My nerves shattered as I reached the front door of my house, the house I abandoned months ago. My palms began to sweat, Aubrey might have sensed this because she wrapped a comforting arm around my shoulder, and somehow I found myself calming down. "You'll be fine. Ashton will be very happy to see you." She said smiling and I mirrored her smile. We entered the house, everything was exactly the same I last saw it. Standing outside my room I asked Aubrey to go in first and tell them that I was here, but she refused, "You go first, and surprise them." She said, them? As though reading my thoughts she said, "Oh! My friend Kayla, the one you met at the grocery store, Cameron's sister, she's there too." She explained and I nodded. Taking a deep breath I opened the door and stepped inside.

ASHTON

Her words echoed in my head again and again,' if I'm lucky, I won't be back alone.' What did she mean by that? Did she know where Rose was? Did Cameron find her? Or was she talking about someone else? "Calm down there, boy. Trust her, she must have had her reason of leaving without telling us." Kayla said, she was probably right but I have been going crazy and I want to know where she went.

Waiting here felt like eternity when in real only an hour had passed. I tried calling Aubrey but she left her phone behind, damn it! I was about to go out, getting impatient when the door to the room opened and someone stepped in. "Aubrey, I swear if you...." I began, turning towards the door but could not speak farther. Her eyes locked in mine, those innocent green eyes, there was something different about them. They seemed a lot familiar, I had almost forgotten what they did to me. I took in her appearance and my heart skipped a beat, my mind screamed to yell at her for running away like that. But I was frozen, lost. She turned her gaze and looked where Kayla was standing, she waved her hand at her and smiled.

"Flower..." I finally said, her eyes turned back to me still smiling, she was here, in front of me. I could not believe my eyes, it felt like I have not seen her for years. Now that she was right in front of me, I could recognize her in seconds. I mentally cursed myself for even believing that Aubrey was Rose. This was Rose, although she looked exactly like her sister but she was different, she felt different. "Ash..." I heard her sweet, gentle voice. She took a step forward and I did not think twice before reaching her and pulling her in my arms. I have missed her so much, I wanted to get mad at her for not telling me anything, for leaving me all of a sudden, but now that she was here, I did not know what else to do except for not letting her go.

I felt her arms slowly wrapping themself around my neck, "I've missed you, Ash..." she whispered, making me hold her tighter. "I've missed you too..." I told her, afraid that she might disappear any moment. I heard someone clearing their throat before hearing Aubrey's voice, "We're here too you know. Want us to leave you two alone for a while?.... Or not?" she said, I heard Kayla giggling. Rose tried to wiggle free from my arms, but I did not let her. I could tell that she was blushing. "Go away, Aubrey." I said, I heard her chuckle.