Kiss From a Rose

"You might want to sit back down to hear all this." Ember said.

Matt took his place back at her side and took her hand. "Okay start."

"Remember when I told you my mother died when I was young?" She asked.

He nodded. "Yes I do."

"I never told you how though." She said looking away. "My mother died giving birth to me." She whispered.

"Ember I'm...

"There's nothing to be sorry about." Ember said. "It was unfortunate and she wasn't strong enough."

"Still I'm sorry about it." He said. "You didn't even know your mom."

"That's probably why I'm not that sad about it." She said. "Sure I want to know my mother then again you can't miss someone you never knew."

"You said she wasn't strong enough what do you mean?" Matt asked.

"She had heart problems and also a disease that was making her weak and fatigue." Ember said. "Due to it she could barely carry a baby to term the first time the second time was too much for her body."

"Second time?" Matt asked. "You mean...

"I have a sibling." Ember said. "An older sister named May she's seven years older then me."

"Why did tell me you had no family when you have a sister?" Matt asked.

"Cause my sister is the reason there's death and destruction around me." Ember said. "It's there cause she's the cause of it."

"She's also the reason I'm in the hospital." She whispered looking down.

Matt looked in disbelief his eyes roamed Ember's body. "Your own sister tried to kill you?" "Why would she want to do something like this?"

"Cause she's trying to ruin my life and she blames me for the death of our mother." Ember said. "After mom died as I got older May would always tell me it's my fault she's dead and that of dad had pulled out mom wouldn't have gotten pregnant with me and she would still be here."

"That wasn't your fault." Matt said. "Mothers dying from giving birth is just something tragic and unfortunate that happens all the time."

"That didn't matter to May." Ember said. "There were times that she wouldn't talk to me but she would sit there looking at me with nothing but hate in her eyes." "Like she wanted to kill me and she tried to when we were little."

"What did she do?" Matt asked.

"One night I was sleeping and she pinned me to my bed with a pair of scissors to my throat." Ember brought a hand to her throat as the memory came back.

"It was so long ago but I can still feel the coldness of the blade on my neck, her breath on my face, and the wild hate filled look in her eyes." She whispered. "She said that since I killed mom I deserved and should die and she was gonna be the one to do it."

"I managed to scream just as she dug the blade into my throat my dad rushed in grabbing her and scissors from her hands." Ember said. "The police were called and May was taken for a mental evaluation they could find nothing wrong with her but she was kept in a mental hospital for a year."

"And you stayed with your dad?" Matt asked.

She nodded. "But that was when the abuse started." "We were poor and May being in a hospital costed so much that our insurance couldn't cover it and he blamed me for it." "Saying that if I wasn't born mom would still be here and May wouldn't be in a hospital."

"And like I said it was bad cause I looked so much like her and I reminded him of her." Ember said. "When May was finally released it got worse."

"How?" Matt asked.

Ember wiped a stray tear away. "She got jealous cause dad payed her no attention." "Even though the only attention he payed me was abuse she got mad cause he payed her none it was all on me."

"Then one day before my sixth birthday she said she had something special planned for me." Ember said.

"This special thing turned out to be your death." Matt said.

Ember nodded. "On the day of my birthday May had baked a cake but she had baked sleeping pills and razor blades in it." "I ate a small crumb but I didn't eat anymore cause it tasted funny." "My dad ate a whole piece with the blades in it."

"He ended up choking and getting slashed from the inside from the blade I was just knocked out." She said. "Then May doused the entire house in gasoline and set it ablaze." "I was woken up by the smell of smoke and saw my room consumed in flames."

"I ran to the window and using a trick my dad showed me I managed to get it open." She said. "I was halfway out when May pulled me back in and started beating me telling me to die." "I kicked her in her stomach and ran for the window she grabbed my leg again and I kicked her in her face sending her back into the dresser which knocked her out."

"The firefighters got me down and I watched as my home burned to the ground." Ember said. "I was in the hospital and they said I was being placed in the foster care system I asked about May."

Ember sniffled as the tears flooded. "Ember it's okay please tell me." Matt said hugging her and wiping the tears away.

"They told me they only found one body which was my dads." She said letting out a sob. "They never found May's body which meant one thing she survived the fire."

"They never found her and they kept close watched on my throughout my entire life until I reached adulthood." Ember said. "When I was eighteen I was on my own and left my hometown hoping to forget the memories of the past." "But they followed me she followed me."

"I moved to a small town in Arizona and met a guy there that's when May reappeared after twelve years." Ember said crying into his shirt. "It started off as letters then she broke into my house this time she blamed me for something else."

"Her disfigurement." Ember said. "The fire had burned her face so badly that she had to wear gauze on it all the time." "She said if I hadn't been born she wouldn't have to burn down the house and she would still be pretty."

"Did you go to the police?" Matt asked.

"I was too scared I decided to run again so I packed up and went to say goodbye to the guy." She said. "When I got there he had been murdered by forcefully swallowing bathroom chemicals." "His mouth was foaming and bleeding and on the wall in his blood was written See What You Do Ember?" "You're The Reason He's Dead All Because You Lived."

"After that I just fled without telling the police and I came here." She said. "I've only lived here for about a month then I met you at the bar."

"And May followed you here too." Matt said.

She nodded. "She broke into my apartment one night held me down and carved You're Nothing into my arm." She said looking at her slinged arm.

"She also crashed into my car and tried to strangle me luckily we were near a residence that heard the commotion and she fled." Ember said. "She's also the reason I cleared out my apartment that day you came over."

"Where have you been living at?" He asked.

"In the basement of the theater." She said.

"You've been living there the entire time?" Matt asked. "And I was told you were moving."

"Angie just told you that to dissuade you from trying to find me." Ember said.

"I would've found you eventually cause I wasn't gonna give up till I did." Matt said.

"You cared so much about me and I don't deserve it." She said stroking his cheek.

"Don't you ever say or think about yourself that way Ember." Matt said. "You deserve to live and you deserve to be happy no matter what."

"Matt but May...

"I don't care what May does or tries to do she's not gonna get you, me, or our baby." He said touching her belly. "She didn't succeed the last couple of times and she's not gonna now cause I won't let her."

Ember placed her hand over his. "I know you want to know where we stand."

"Please Ember I love you and our baby so much." Matt said. "Even though you're scared of what might happen to us remember that doesn't change how I feel about you or our child."

Ember took his hand and kissed his wrist a smile forming. "I'll be your girlfriend."

Matt smiled widely and kissed her gently being careful of her body. "I can't remember ever being this happy." She whispered as they pulled away.

"Me neither." He said. "Ember there's something else...

"You want to know about the raven and the carving on your chest." She said.

"Yeah how'd you know I was gonna ask that?" He asked.

She laughed lightly. "I believe we all have an inner unexplained power within us remember?" "Anyway that raven was sent by me." "His my pet his name is Ablo."

"Why'd you tell me you didn't send him then?" Matt asked.

"I didn't want to freak you out more than I did." She said. "He acts as my messenger."

"As for the carving." She says touching his chest. "It's an old symbol that's supposed to protect against evil." "The hands are praying hands and the rose is a wild rose which evil doers and the dead can't touch or cross." "The eye just means that someone is watching over you."

"Then you gave me the ruby." He said pulling it out.

"Which you kept." She said with a smile. "May was threatening me more and more so I got scared for you and gave it to you for more protection."

"It also is suppose to bring well being like you told me." He said putting in her hand and his hand over hers. "Since you're awake, the baby is okay, and you're okay it worked."

"Along with your love for me." She said.

He nodded. "Which is strong and only gets stronger each day." He said. "No matter what happens to you or me I love you Ember McClain." "Always."

After a kiss Matt held her in his arms Ember feeling something she hadn't felt in a while.

Warmth, safe, serenity, sanctuary, peace, and love in Matt's arms.