didn't even have a chance to reply, not that she waited for me. I couldn't have known what to say if she had.
I followed her down the stairs in a hurry, a little dazed.
It appeared we weren't the only ones there. The neighbors came looking, and some who were passing by stopped over to take a few pictures.
"Ohh, I never knew you liked these flowers," Haley gasped, picking one up and smelling one. Paula followed, hands flying over her mouth, and her eyes filled with awe.
And for some absurd reason, I couldn't help the grin that crept on my face. "I don't. Just the opposite."
Baffled, one of the people in the midst of taking another photo declared, "You two have an unusual relationship."
That was one way to put it.
"Look, mama! Pretty!" A little girl with soft blonde curls bent down to get a small one, and her mom tried to stop her, but she cradled it closer to her chest, like it was a treasure.
"It's okay," I offered with a small smile. "I wouldn't know what to do with all these."
He was sneaky. If he sent me my favorites, perhaps I would've told him no. But this way, he managed to get under my skin.
It was infuriating.
It was sweet.
God. I was so screwed.
* * *
M y phone rang in my pocket, and I had a feeling I knew who it was.
"You like them?" Chase’s voice boomed when I picked up.
I was right.
There was vulnerability in his voice I hadn't realized was there before, and it only lowered my defenses against him.
The only thing I could think to ask was, "Would you believe me if I said yes?"
"Liar." I imagined him on the other hand, wearing a smile.
And because I couldn't help it, I asked, "Why? Did you just wake up and decide, 'hey, I'll send hate-flowers'?"
"Last night, in not so many words, you told me you didn't think you were worth it."
I couldn't find anything to say. He'd noticed. Did he notice everything?
Then he went on, “Would you have accepted them if they were roses?"
I went for honesty. "Probably not. Does that make me weird?"
"Not at all."
Haley cleared her throat, nudging me. "You can't pretend, Sherr. You were smiling, I think everyone saw that."
In nearly three weeks, Chase came over and slept with me, he kissed me, and he sent me a crazy amount of flowers.
That did not follow a logical order. It went backwards.
But regardless of sense or order, if he continued to follow the same pattern, I was afraid of what would happen to my heart.
Chapter Twelve
Holding on
“ W hy are we stopping over ?"
We were on the way to dinner, closer to his house, when Chase stopped over at a donuts shop.
"I want donuts,” he declared.
Donuts? Why would he stop now for donuts?
When he came back, he was carrying a small box, and a paper bag stacked on top. He made a show of opening it and ate one, moaning. Oh God help me. I turned the radio on to drown out the sound. I was already hungry, and, well, he was an ass but he was a sexy ass, and he had no right to make those sounds.
The look he gave me said he was onto me.
He dropped a paper bag of something down my lap. I peeked at what was inside, and looked up, baffled.
"What is this?'
"A hotdog roll."
I rolled my eyes. "Why thank you, Captain Obvious. Why is said hotdog roll on my lap?"
"You're welcome, and you looked hungry. You know what dinner usually is, it’s never something heavy.” His grin was devastating. My pulse sped up.
Dinner with them usually involved soups, some toasted bread, and maybe some pizza.
"Ha ha." I bit one. It was so good. "Thanks," I replied. It was still pretty warm too. His gaze moved to my lips. I looked away, suddenly feeling conscious of it.
He cared about me. It was sweet and infuriating, but he could be really thoughtful and make you feel like you were special. And once, a while ago, I had been.
Except he wouldn’t talk about it.
My heart sank. I needed to prepare myself for what was coming.
* * *
C eline greeted me with a hug . “So glad to see you again, Sherr.”
“Are you crying?” I
I followed her down the stairs in a hurry, a little dazed.
It appeared we weren't the only ones there. The neighbors came looking, and some who were passing by stopped over to take a few pictures.
"Ohh, I never knew you liked these flowers," Haley gasped, picking one up and smelling one. Paula followed, hands flying over her mouth, and her eyes filled with awe.
And for some absurd reason, I couldn't help the grin that crept on my face. "I don't. Just the opposite."
Baffled, one of the people in the midst of taking another photo declared, "You two have an unusual relationship."
That was one way to put it.
"Look, mama! Pretty!" A little girl with soft blonde curls bent down to get a small one, and her mom tried to stop her, but she cradled it closer to her chest, like it was a treasure.
"It's okay," I offered with a small smile. "I wouldn't know what to do with all these."
He was sneaky. If he sent me my favorites, perhaps I would've told him no. But this way, he managed to get under my skin.
It was infuriating.
It was sweet.
God. I was so screwed.
* * *
M y phone rang in my pocket, and I had a feeling I knew who it was.
"You like them?" Chase’s voice boomed when I picked up.
I was right.
There was vulnerability in his voice I hadn't realized was there before, and it only lowered my defenses against him.
The only thing I could think to ask was, "Would you believe me if I said yes?"
"Liar." I imagined him on the other hand, wearing a smile.
And because I couldn't help it, I asked, "Why? Did you just wake up and decide, 'hey, I'll send hate-flowers'?"
"Last night, in not so many words, you told me you didn't think you were worth it."
I couldn't find anything to say. He'd noticed. Did he notice everything?
Then he went on, “Would you have accepted them if they were roses?"
I went for honesty. "Probably not. Does that make me weird?"
"Not at all."
Haley cleared her throat, nudging me. "You can't pretend, Sherr. You were smiling, I think everyone saw that."
In nearly three weeks, Chase came over and slept with me, he kissed me, and he sent me a crazy amount of flowers.
That did not follow a logical order. It went backwards.
But regardless of sense or order, if he continued to follow the same pattern, I was afraid of what would happen to my heart.
Chapter Twelve
Holding on
“ W hy are we stopping over ?"
We were on the way to dinner, closer to his house, when Chase stopped over at a donuts shop.
"I want donuts,” he declared.
Donuts? Why would he stop now for donuts?
When he came back, he was carrying a small box, and a paper bag stacked on top. He made a show of opening it and ate one, moaning. Oh God help me. I turned the radio on to drown out the sound. I was already hungry, and, well, he was an ass but he was a sexy ass, and he had no right to make those sounds.
The look he gave me said he was onto me.
He dropped a paper bag of something down my lap. I peeked at what was inside, and looked up, baffled.
"What is this?'
"A hotdog roll."
I rolled my eyes. "Why thank you, Captain Obvious. Why is said hotdog roll on my lap?"
"You're welcome, and you looked hungry. You know what dinner usually is, it’s never something heavy.” His grin was devastating. My pulse sped up.
Dinner with them usually involved soups, some toasted bread, and maybe some pizza.
"Ha ha." I bit one. It was so good. "Thanks," I replied. It was still pretty warm too. His gaze moved to my lips. I looked away, suddenly feeling conscious of it.
He cared about me. It was sweet and infuriating, but he could be really thoughtful and make you feel like you were special. And once, a while ago, I had been.
Except he wouldn’t talk about it.
My heart sank. I needed to prepare myself for what was coming.
* * *
C eline greeted me with a hug . “So glad to see you again, Sherr.”
“Are you crying?” I
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