“Sorry, no can do. I need to glue my eyeballs to my retail floristry operations management book, or I won’t be prepared for that exam. What about a rain check Saturday night? I think Will and Ellen are planning takeout and a movie at our place. We could gate-crash.”
“I’m down with that plan.”
“Great.” Her enthusiastic smile does weird things to my insides. “Thanks again, Garrick. I’ll catch you later.” She slides out of the car before I can get her door.
Hopping out my side, I open the back door and grab the bouquet. Stevie is halfway to the building when I call out after her, running to catch up. Turning around, she frowns, looking confused as I thrust the flowers at her. “These are for you.”
“What?” she splutters, looking between me and the bouquet with a crease between her brows. “I thought these were for your mom?”
“I might have told a little white lie. I hope you can forgive me.” I don’t bother telling her my mother would scoff if I showed up with anything that wasn’t the most expensive roses, gardenias, or orchids. There is nothing wrong with this bouquet. It’s exquisite, and Stevie is talented, but Mom is as snobbish with flowers as she is with most other things in her life.
Dawn will love her delivery like I know she’ll love Stevie when she meets her.
“These are forme?” Stevie stares at them in a bit of a daze, like she can’t believe they’re for her.
“Hasn’t anyone ever bought you flowers?”
“I’m surrounded by flowers, thanks to my nana,” she admits, her fingers tracing reverently over the bouquet that is still in my hand. “But no one has ever bought me flowers before.”
“I’m glad to be the first,” I truthfully say, gently pushing them at her. I hope it’s the start of many firsts we have together. Stevie doesn’t know what it’s like to be in a committed relationship, and I look forward to educating her. To spoiling her as she deserves.
Cradling the flowers against her chest, she buries her nose in the scented petals and inhales deeply. “You’re chipping away at my resolve,” she softly admits, looking up at me with a tender sheen in her eyes.
“There is no ulterior motive.” My fingers wind through the wispy strands of hair cupping her face. “I wanted to buy you flowers, so I did. I expect nothing in return.”
“Thank you so much, Garrick. I love them, and it was really thoughtful.”
“You’re welcome.” Though I hate to walk away, I want to prove to her I won’t be a distraction from her life goals. “Good luck with your studying.” I press a light kiss to her cheek, relishing the feel of her soft, satiny skin against my lips. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”
* * *
The air in the kitchen plummets a couple of degrees the instant Cohen steps foot inside it on Saturday morning. Will and I have been giving him the cold shoulder since Stevie informed me of the vile things he said to her last Saturday night. Noah is tiptoeing around all of us, hating the tension and trying not to pick sides. He was angry when he heard the truth, but he’s trying to play mediator in the hope we can reconcile.
I’m not sure that’s possible.
Since all this has gone down, I am reconsidering everything I thought I knew about my friend. Blaming alcohol is no excuse, and I realize we have been making excuses for Cohen from the moment we met him. His behavior is not acceptable, and it’s time we stopped sweeping it under the rug. Stopped enabling him.
“How long do you plan to keep this up?” he asks, sounding bored as he pours coffee into a mug while eyeballing me.
“This isn’t a game, Cohen.”
“I’m well aware.” He points at the colorful bruising surrounding his left eye.
“You deserved that,” I calmly reply, drinking my coffee and schooling my features into a neutral line.
“You deserved more than a black eye,” Will says, entering the kitchen with a yawn.
“You’re both overreacting, and you know it. We always said we’d never let any chick come between us, yet here we are.” Folding his arms, he slouches against the counter and drills me with a sharp look.
I finish my coffee and stand. “We are here because you are way out of line. With Stevie and with other women. You have no respect, and we’ve been letting you get away with it for far too long. I can’t speak for the others, but I won’t stand by and tolerate it anymore.”
“I’m with Garrick.” Will edges around the island unit and heads for the refrigerator.
“Of course, you are. As long as you’re sticking it to Stevie’s friend, at least.”
“Watch your fucking mouth.” Will glares at him. “This is the exact kind of shit we’re talking about.”
“You’re such hypocrites!” His voice elevates a few notches. “All of a sudden, I’m no longer good enough for the mighty Garrick Allen and his sidekick?” He scoffs at us, letting out a laugh, as he pushes off the counter. “At least have the balls to admit this is nothing to do with how I treat women and everything to do with the factInailed the girl who keeps rejectingyou.”
