“Where have you been?! I’ve been worried sick about you. I thought I would have to call 911 and report a missing girl!” Callum shouted, furious. Rose looked at her watch to find she was late by one minute.

“Chill out! I’m only a minute late. Calm down before you have a heart attack,” she yelled back.

Rose knew Callum would get upset before she walked through the door. She was just glad he didn’t know who she was with. He would have a heart attack for sure, then.

As Callum appeared to be calming down, Rose rubbed his shoulders and asked, “Are you okay, now?” He nodded. “You need to learn to give me a couple minutes before you start to freak out, at least fifteen. If I’m not home by then, I give you permission to flip. Deal?”

“Deal.”

“Good. Now, what happened at school?”

“It was nothing. We just got into a foolish argument,” Callum shrugged.

“Yeah, right!” Rose stated, hysterical, “I heard some parts of your guys’ argument. Something about a girl, and how you don’t want Carson dating her?”

“It’s nothing, really,” Callum told her.

At the sight of Callum walking away, Rose screamed, “Hold it, mister! We’re not finished!” Rose hated when people walked away while she was talking to them; the rude act made her angry all the more.

“Now, I need to know! I didn’t care before, but now I do. Who is this girl? Why can’t Carson date her? Why are you protecting her, and what from?” Rose questioned.

After hearing how much Rose knew, Callum hung his head in shame.

“I’m sorry, Ambrosia. I can’t believe you had to hear me fight. I should’ve kept my cool. I should’ve shut my locker and walked away. I’m sorry,” Callum apologized, shaking his head in denial.

“Answer the questions,” Rose snarled.

In a hushed whisper, Callum stated, “We were talking about you.” Stunned, Rose shut her mouth.

About me? Why would they be talking about me?

As if to clarify himself, Callum continued, “I was at my locker when Carson walked up to me, asking if he could ask you out. I refused and tried to walk away, but he followed me. We started arguing in the parking lot, and then, you appeared. Once you left, I told him he was never to date, or even talk to you again. Carson didn’t like that, though. He began saying I wasn’t the boss of him, and he could do whatever he wanted.”

Rose watched as Callum clenched his fists tight.

“I started to get angry, but I tried not to hit him; I swear I did. But, Carson told me I couldn’t keep protecting you. I need to let you experience the world, the good and bad. I almost threw a punch then, but I kept my cool.”

Callum paused.

Seeing his knuckles turn a nerve-racking white, Rose rubbed his hands with a gentle touch and stated, “It’s okay. He’s gone now.”

“That bastard started talking about how he would take you out for dinner, and after, to his place. When he continued to talk about all the things he would do to you there, I couldn’t take it anymore. I started punching him and couldn’t stop myself. You told me to leave him be when I threw him on the ground.”

Callum looked to Rose to gauge her response, but she was in shock the fight was about her. She couldn’t wrap her head around it, no matter how hard she tried.

“I’m sorry, Ambrosia. I couldn’t see my little sister dating someone like him. I didn’t want you to get hurt. I couldn’t let that happen. All those guys weren’t worthy of someone like you. They didn’t deserve you,” Callum said, holding back tears by this point.

“What do you mean all those guys? There were more besides Carson?” Rose exclaimed. Callum nodded, his movement cautious.

“Yes, there were more, all wanting to ask you out, but I told them no; I made sure they wouldn’t. They were all afraid of me, so they wouldn’t dare ask you out since they knew I would harm them if they did.”

“You mean to tell me I’ve been feeling sorry for myself all because you didn’t want me to date? I’ve been thinking poorly of myself, thinking I was hideous and fat for nothing? I can’t believe you did this to me! I’ve never had a boyfriend, even been on a date, because of you!” Rose cried. Callum was the one person she could trust with everything, and now that was gone.

“I’m so sorry, Ambrosia! I mean it. You’re not ugly or fat. You’re beautiful! I’m sorry!” Callum wailed, not being able to hold back his tears any longer.

“This morning, were all those boys looking at me? Is that why you were glaring at them?” Callum nodded.

Seeing him sob, Rose tried to calm down. She couldn’t believe Callum did this, but she was also glad how strong his love was.

“I admire that you wanted to protect me, but I want to date. I don’t want to be that one, single person at a party. I want to have someone to call mine who’ll hug and care about me, kiss and protect me, respect me. One who won’t look at other girls the same way he looks at me-- with love in his eyes. One who knows he could never let me go, or he’d be a wreck without me.”

Callum opened his mouth to speak, but Rose continued, paying him no mind.

“He’ll never let me go,” she whispered, wishing it were true, but knowing she’d never meet a guy like this; they were too good to be true.

Glancing at Callum, Rose found he wasn’t crying anymore; in fact, he was starting to get his breathing under control. Thinking about her fictitious, perfect guy, Rose glanced at the floor with a somber expression when Callum began rubbing her back.

“I’m sorry, Ambrosia. I should’ve let you date. Maybe you would’ve gotten to experience some of those things if I did. I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay, Callum. I forgive you,” Rose stated with her best fake smile. With a relieved smile, Callum nodded. “I’m going to bed now.”

Rose headed to her room, seeing Callum nod out of the corner of her eye. Rose wasn’t tired; she just didn’t want to be in the same room as him for the moment.

Though Rose knew Callum cared for her, that was no reason for him to act this way. Callum could’ve fought the guys who broke her heart, not make sure she never experienced it being broken in the first place. Rose knew break-ups would be hard, but she was a tough girl; Rose could get through them.