Free Uncovering You 3: Resistance by Scarlett Edwards

I can look out at the dark ocean with no inside reflections blocking my view.
    I feel a pang of sadness, and a twinge of guilt, for the tiny dove. If I hadn’t taken her in, she might still be alive. And it felt good, for however short a time, to be responsible for a living thing other than myself.
    Stonehart didn’t like that, of course. Maybe it was because the dove represented something he did not give me himself. He is doing everything he can to make me reliant on him. The bird was something out of his control, and so it threatened him.
    What comes next? I don’t know. Despite having full access to the house, I don’t want to be anywhere other than right here. The sunroom feels like it belongs to me. The rest of the house is his. This little nook is mine .
    I snort a laugh. There’s nothing little about it.
    I wonder if Rose is still here. A moment later—speak of the devil—I hear footsteps approaching, and twist back to find her bustling in.
    “Miss Ryder?” she whispers. “Are you awake?”
    “I’m over here, Rose,” I say. “And yeah. I’m still up.”
    She gives a great sigh of relief. “Oh, thank God.” She comes up to the bed and looks at the side. “May I?”
    “Oh, of course,” I say, pulling the sheets aside to make room for her.
    She sits down and smooths out her skirt. “I don’t know how to say this,” she begins uncertainly.
    “Rose, it’s fine,” I tell her. I reach out and take her hand. The gesture makes her smile sadly. “You couldn’t have done anything. You shouldn’t blame yourself.”
    “That was a horrible, despicable thing he did,” Rose says. I give a little gasp, thinking of the cameras, and Rose says, “Oh, let him hear. I made my opinion known straight away, for all the good it did us.”
    “Can I ask you something?” I try cautiously. Rose nods, and I continue in a voice barely above a whisper. “How long have you known Sto—Jeremy?”
    “Oh.” She sighs. “ That is something he probably does not want you to know.” She makes her voice stronger, so that it rings through the room. “But I have no problem answering questions about my life with the truth .” She emphasizes the word. “I’ve known Jeremy Stonehart for almost twenty years, Miss Ryder.”
    The figure blindsides me. “So that means you’ve seen… you’ve seen him…”
    “I’ve seen him rise to the top, yes. I wasn’t being dishonest when I told you that I’ve never seen Mr. Stonehart as content as when you entered his life. But he still had no right to do what he did today. No right at all!”
    “Rose, shh,” I hush her. “It’s okay. Really, it’s fine. I’ve dealt with worse.”
    “You poor thing,” Rose says. “I saw how gentle you were with the dove. How sweet. I thought it would do you good, having something to care for. But when he came home, he saw the box… and he became so angry…”
    Rose breaks off as tiny sobs overtake her. I’ve never seen her this emotional.
    “Come here,” I say. “Shh, shh. It’s okay,” I mutter, crawling to my knees and wrapping my arms around her in a hug. She keeps crying against my shoulder. “Rose. Rose, it’s okay. I don’t blame you. It wasn’t your fault.”
    “Oh, but it was,” she says in between falling tears. “When he came home, he went straight to find you. If I had stopped him… I could have delayed him…”
    “Jeremy would have still found the dove,” I say resolutely. “Rose, I won’t have you blame yourself for anything. I forbid it.”
    “You’re sweet,” she says, sniffling. “So sweet. If I may be frank…?”
    I give her a little nod.
    “Then you don’t deserve anything that Mr. Stonehart has been doing to you. I can’t think of a person less worthy to be treated this way.”
    Her sincerity takes me aback. “Rose, I… Thank you,” I say, wiping away the abrupt wetness in my eyes.
    She gives me a little squeeze and stands up. “I better get going. Goodnight, Miss Ryder.”
    “Goodnight,