The morning sun peeked through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the apartment. Rose sat up in bed, her eyes heavy from lack of sleep. No matter how much she tossed and turned, her mind wouldn't let her rest.
The events from the previous night replayed over and over in her head—her father's cold words, Sophia's decision to fire her, and the overwhelming sense of abandonment she felt.
She sighed, running a hand through her tangled hair before dragging herself out of bed.
As she stepped into the living room, Daniel was already up, sitting at the small table with a cup of coffee in his hand. The moment he saw her, he frowned.
"You barely slept, didn't you?" he asked.
Rose forced a small smile. "I'm fine."
Daniel gave her a skeptical look. "I'll stay home today."
"No," Rose said quickly. "You need to go to work."
Daniel hesitated, his protective instincts kicking in. "Rose—"
"I'll be fine," she reassured him, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Go."
After a long pause, Daniel sighed, standing up. "If you need anything, call me."
"I will," she promised.
With one last glance at her, Daniel grabbed his bag and left for work.
The moment the door closed, Rose exhaled deeply. She didn't want to sit at home drowning in her thoughts, so she decided to head out for some coffee.
---
The café wasn't too far from their apartment, and the moment Rose arrived, she noticed something familiar—a sleek black motorcycle parked right outside.
Her heart skipped a beat.
She knew only one person who rode a bike like that.
Pushing open the door, the aroma of fresh coffee filled her senses. And there, sitting at a table by the window, was Stella, casually sipping her drink while scrolling through her phone.
A small smile crept onto Rose's lips as she walked over.
"Guess we both needed a coffee fix," she said as she sat down.
Stella glanced up, smirking. "You again? Are you following me, Rose?"
Rose scoffed. "Please. You wish."
Stella chuckled, setting her phone aside. But as she studied Rose's face, the playful glint in her eyes faded.
Something was off.
"You okay?" she asked, tilting her head.
Rose hesitated before forcing a small smile. "Yeah. Just… a little family incident."
Stella narrowed her eyes. "If someone's messing with you, just say the word. I'll handle them."
Rose let out a small laugh, shaking her head. "It's nothing like that. I promise."
Stella wasn't convinced, but she didn't push. Instead, she suddenly grinned.
"Tell you what," she said, leaning back. "If you're not busy, let's go for a ride."
Rose blinked. "A ride?"
"Yeah. I know a place," Stella said. "It's the best view in the city."
Rose hesitated. She wasn't exactly comfortable with motorcycles, but sitting here, drowning in her thoughts, wasn't an option either.
"…Fine," she said.
Stella smirked. "Atta girl."
---
Minutes later, Rose found herself gripping Stella's waist way tighter than necessary as the motorcycle zoomed through the streets.
"Relax," Stella called out over the wind. "You're acting like I'm gonna crash or something."
"You might!" Rose shouted back.
Stella laughed, shaking her head as she expertly weaved through traffic.
Eventually, they reached their destination—a secluded hill on the outskirts of the city. The moment they stopped, Rose slowly got off the bike, her legs shaky.
"That was terrifying," she muttered.
Stella only grinned. "And yet, you survived."
Rose rolled her eyes before finally taking in the view.
From this height, she could see the entire city stretched out before her. The skyscrapers, the winding roads, the tiny figures of people moving about—it was breathtaking.
"At night," Stella said beside her, "this place is even better. The lights make it look like something out of a dream."
Rose nodded slowly, feeling a sense of peace she hadn't felt in a while.
For the next few hours, Stella took her to different places—the best food spots, the hidden gems in the city that only a few people knew about.
For the first time in what felt like forever, Rose wasn't thinking about her father.
She wasn't thinking about her problems.
She was just… living.
---
Later that evening, Stella finally brought Rose back to her place.
"Come in," Stella said casually as she parked her bike.
Rose hesitated. "Are you sure?"
"Of course."
Stepping inside, Rose was surprised to find that Stella's apartment was nothing like she expected. It wasn't just a place to crash—it actually felt like a home.
It had personality.
Photos of different cities lined the walls, a guitar rested in the corner, and small knick-knacks decorated the shelves.
"You live alone?" Rose asked as she looked around.
"Yeah," Stella said, stretching. "I like my space."
They spent the next hour talking, laughing, and just enjoying each other's company.
It was strange.
Rose had never been the type to open up to people so easily, but with Stella, things felt easy.
It was as if she had known her for years.
Eventually, as the night stretched on, Stella offered to take Rose home.
"Ready for another ride?" she teased.
Rose groaned. "God, no."
---
By the time they reached her apartment, Daniel had just gotten home from work again.
The moment he saw Rose hopping off a motorcycle, his protective instincts kicked in.
He ran over.
"Rose!" he called out.
Rose turned, raising an eyebrow. "What?"
Daniel's gaze flickered to Stella. "Who's this?"
Before Rose could answer, Stella smirked. "Name's Stella."
Daniel narrowed his eyes. "And you are…?"
Rose sighed. "A friend, Daniel."
Daniel's expression softened immediately.
A friend.
Finally.
After everything that had happened, after all the pain Rose had gone through, hearing that she had someone she could call a friend made his heart feel lighter.
His face broke into a grin. "Well, it's about time."
Stella chuckled. "You're lucky to have her, you know."
Daniel nodded. "I know."
He turned to Stella. "You wanna come inside?"
Stella shook her head. "Nah. I got some stuff to do."
"Next time, then," Daniel said.
"Next time," Stella agreed before revving her bike.
As she sped off into the night, Daniel turned to his sister, nudging her playfully.
"Look at you," he teased. "Finally making friends."
Rose rolled her eyes, but she couldn't hide her small smile.
Maybe things weren't perfect.
Maybe her father didn't want her.
But for the first time in a long time, she felt like she wasn't alone.