When Holly lets Rose breathe again, the sister who answered the door the first time I was here says, "I'm sorry, Rose. I shouldn't have said that."

Rose shrugs. "It's fine."

Holly tilts her head at this, then she looks at me.

I shrug, having no idea what she's trying to relay.

The sister I haven't met is rolling her eyes and pursing her lips.

I can't even fathom what was said before Rose took off in her father's truck.

Holly tugs my sleeve. "Let's give them some privacy."

Running my hand on the back of Rose's arm, I tell her I'll be in the other room.

"You were right," Holly says when we're in the front living room. "We aren't dealing with the old Rose."

"How can you tell already?" I whisper.

Barely above a whisper herself, Holly says, "When her sister apologized, the old Rose would have said, 'It's okay, but...,' and proceeded to tell her exactly why she didn't like whatever it was her sister had said. This Rose just shrugged it off."

"But is that bad?"

"I don't know. To me it is. It's a sign that her self-esteem, wait...you told me this a few weeks ago."

"Yeah. Yeah. You're right. I wish I knew her before, just to see."

"Maybe it's better that you didn't. Maybe Rose likes it that way."

I'm contemplating that when she asks, "So why are you here, anyway? Did Rose invite you? What's been going on?"

"No, she didn't invite me. I haven't even talked with her since that night you dropped me off."

"Are you kidding me? Then what are you doing here now?"

"Out of the blue, she just...called me. Crying." I move to the farthest side of the room and sit on the loveseat I sat on last time. Holly takes the rocker. "She barely said h.e.l.lo before she started crying."

"Really?"

"Then...I don't know. I shouldn't talk about it behind her back. Not like she won't tell you herself. Not that she even told me anything."

"Wait. You're rambling. Why are you here?"

"Her phone died right after she told me she was alone in the woods with no place to turn her truck around."

"Oh." Holly's mouth turns into a c.o.c.ky grin. "Man, you got it bad. You come running up because her phone died?"

I roll my eyes at my insanity. "I thought she may have been in trouble or something."

"Hey." Rose walks in.

I stand.

"You okay?" Holly asks.

"Yeah. Just feel like an a.s.s," Rose says. "Ben, I'm really sorry you had to come all the way up here."

"I didn't mind at all." Sticking my hands in my pockets, because I'm just so nervous all of a sudden, I repeat what Holly asked. "You sure you're okay? What happened?"

"Something stupid. Do you want something to drink, Ben? Coffee, tea, cider, anything?"

"I'm good, Rose." I sit down, patting the s.p.a.ce next to me. "Sit down."

"I feel bad that Mick and them left," Rose says to Holly.

"No. We came 'cause your mom asked. Mick actually felt funny coming anyway. And Griff and them, they only wanted to help."

"Why did my mother even ask? That was stupid."

"She's worried about you, Rose. She said all you do is farm work." Holly hesitates. I think she's waiting to see Rose's reaction.

Rose just darts her eyes to me every now and then. We don't know each other well. I'm thinking I shouldn't be here.

"Rose," Holly says. "Come back to school. Live with me at Griffin's. We'll have so much fun."

"And get to be lifelong friends," Rose adds, and Holly and she laugh at something I'm not getting.

Holly winks at me and says, "It's a line from the movie Grease."

"Ah. Never saw it."

"We used to watch it in the dorm," Rose adds with a chuckle. Then she looks at me. "I'm sorry I called you like that. It wasn't fair."

"I really didn't mind. But...do you mind if I ask what prompted it?"

"I can leave," Holly suggests.

"No. It's...it was nothing like that." Rose leans back against the couch. "My sister laced into me for not being grateful I'm alive...and for moping around and acting like I'm dead anyway." She looks embarra.s.sed admitting this.

"Oh, Rose." I take her hand and squeeze it.

"I reacted sorely. I just should have shrugged it off."

"Do you think your sister is right?" Holly asks.

"Maybe. Yes."

Rose's eyes dart to mine again.

I'm still holding her hand when I say, "Really, Rose, I can leave if you want to talk to Holly alone."

"No. I don't. I want you to stay. My mom's setting up a bed for you in the back room."

"Oh, I don't need to stay."

"Please." Her eyes bore into mine and I can't help but comply. "I feel bad you had to come up; I'd hate to see you drive back down so late. Besides, it's Thanksgiving. My mom makes a ton of food."

"I'll stay."

"Yeah. He can drive me home tomorrow night," Holly adds.

"Sure," I tell her.

"Why don't we..."

"Rose." She's interrupted by her mother. "Why don't you all come in the kitchen? I put some coffee on, and we're all sitting around the table."

The three of us look at each other.

Rose shrugs and says, "You guys mind?"

"No," Holly and I both say.

We're sitting at the table about fifteen minutes before her sister Terri suggests we play Monopoly. So we do.

I'm pretty compet.i.tive and usually stop at nothing to get Park Place and Boardwalk, but I notice that Beth gets sore when I purchase Boardwalk, so when I land on Park Place, I pa.s.s on purchasing it. Making enemies with Rose's family is not my goal tonight. Terri, on the other hand, seems to find it funny that I ruined Beth's plans and broke up the two premium spots. When Beth lands on Boardwalk, I offer to sell it to her.

"Don't you dare, Ben," Terri says, leaning in close to me on my right. "Don't let her make you feel guilty. It's good for her to finally have some compet.i.tion."

"Thanks, Ter," Beth says sarcastically.

I shake my head and sell her Boardwalk anyway.

"So, Ben," Terri says, rubbing my forearm before she rolls. "Are you my sister's boyfriend?" That's some question to ask while rubbing my arm, but I don't know Terri well, maybe she's just a touchy-feely kind of person.

I hesitate to answer, but I do look at Rose first. Staring into Rose's eyes, I reluctantly answer her sister. "No. I'm not." But I'd like to be. Saying that out loud may be a bit premature though.

Rose and I are still looking at each other when her sister asks, "Are you dating anyone?"

"No. I'm not," I say again.

"Would you like to be?" Terri continues her inappropriate line of questioning.

"Terri, stop," Beth reprimands her.

"What? I'm just interested in our new friend," she says coyly, and I'm starting to feel uncomfortable. When I look at Rose, she looks p.i.s.sed.

"So, Patti..." I say, to break the sudden tension, "wanna sell me Tennessee Avenue?"

She laughs. "And let you have a complete set? I don't think so."

I end up rolling three doubles and put myself in jail.

"You ever in a long-term relationship?" Terri asks, so oblivious to the tension she's causing for Rose.

I consider not answering, but now everyone's looking at me, including Rose. So, with my attention on her, I say, "Yes. Once. In high school."

Rose doesn't react.

"How long?" Terri asks.

"Three years," I say as unemotionally as I can. I really don't get why she's asking me all this now.

"Why'd you break up?" This question comes from Rose, and she asks it so low, I'm not sure the rest of the table heard it.

So, only looking at Rose, I tell her, "I became serious about baseball, and she wanted nothing to do with it."

Rose nods.

"Have you dated since?" Terri asks.

"Yes."

"Are you a player?" She winks this time when she questions me.

"Only baseball."

"I don't believe that," she says.

"You don't have to," I say, and I don't hide the fact that I'm getting annoyed.

"I wonder if Rose believes you." No point in having enemies when you have a sister like Terri, I suppose.

"Does Rose believe me?" I ask Rose.

"Yes." She does.

"Okay, enough with the getting-to-know-Ben s.h.i.t," Patti says. "Rose, it's your turn."

Rose rolls the dice, and not so subtly, I move my chair closer to her.

23.