I stared at it, the vibration rattling against the wood, sending a few petals fluttering to the floor.
Ellie raised her eyebrows. “Well? Are you going to answer your florist?”
“No,” I said immediately, crossing my arms. “He doesn’t get rewarded for his bad behavior.”
The phone buzzed again.
Molly grinned. “What would you do if he pulled into your driveway right now?”
“So help me God,” I muttered, “I would throw every single one of these vases at his stupid face.”
“Well, your abusive dream is about to come true—look,” Molly said, pushing aside the curtains, revealing Jace’s black truck parked in the street directly in front of my house.
Ellie pressed her ear to the window. “Can you guys hear that? It sounds like… music?”
I dragged myself off the couch, quickly opening the front door. As I opened the door wider, the music outside became louder.
Ellie’s mouth dropped open. “Is he playing Def Leppard?”
Pour Some Sugar on Meblasted at full volume from Jace’s truck speakers, echoing down my entire street. He had a smile stretched a mile wide across his dumb face, completely unbothered by the total scene he was making.
You’ve got to be kidding me.
He cupped his hands around his mouth. “DO YOU LIKE MY SUBTLE APPROACH?” he shouted over the music.
I slapped a hand over my face. “I cannot believe this is my life.”
Ellie snorted. “Oh, sweetie… I can.”
Molly practically squealed. “Wait, don’t stop him. This is the most romantic feral thing I’ve ever seen him do.”
“Romantic?” I snapped. “He’s two seconds away from Ms. Betty next door calling the cops on him for a noise complaint.”
Jace, apparently pleased with himself, pointed at me and shouted again.
“THIS SONG MADE ME THINK OF YOU—ESPECIALLY THE DRAMATIC PARTS!”
I stared at him. “I literally don’t even know what that means.”
Molly clapped her hands together excitedly. “It means he’s obsessed with you.”
“It means he’s unhinged,” I groaned, rolling my eyes. “Go home Jace!” I shouted above the music.
He hopped out of his truck, leaning against it with his arms crossed, that infuriating smile plastered across his face—way too pleased with himself, like this was all some game he was absolutely winning.
“You wanna play hardball, sugar?” he drawled, tilting his head. “That’s fine. We can play hardball. I didn’t come this far just to give up now.”
Ellie let out a quiet, “Oh lord,” behind me. “If Colt said something that sweet to me while he blared a Def Leppard song in the front of God and everybody else, I’d have married him on the spot.”
I ignored her, narrowing my eyes at him. “Hardball? Jace, you broke into my house and drowned it in flowers. This isn’t hardball. This is—this is criminal mischief.”
He pushed off the truck with his good foot, sauntering closer. “Then arrest me.”
“You wish.”
He smirked, leaning in just slightly. “Come on, sweetheart. If you didn’t want me here, you’d have thrown something at me by now.”
I opened my mouth—fully prepared to unleash hell—but the girls were pressed against the doorway behind me, whispering like they were watching a pay-per-view event.
