Sizing him up, I kneel so I’m eye to eye with a moth orchid. Tracking my fingers up its stem, the fuchsia bloom snaps clean off. A strained gasp sounds off behind me. Ty may be shocked, but I noticed the signs. It was the end of its little lifespan and would have happened now, whether it was here or wherever he purchased them.
I hold back my laugh, turning my attention to him. “Are you okay?”
“Isit?”
I arch a brow. “Considering you’re some kind of orchid hoarder, I figured you would know.”
“They just… looked pretty.”
I soften my tone at his admission. “They definitely are, and you have quite the collection. I didn’t really peg you as a plant guy, but certainly not an orchid guy. I suppose the misters are being charged?”
“The what?”
“Orchids can benefit from an extra misting during drier months. I figured since you have such an appreciation for them, you would know that.”
He squares his shoulders, pushing his hands into his pockets. I can’t read him, butsomething feels fishy.
“You just bought these, didn’t you?” I press.
“Maybe some of them.”
I shake my head. “Okay, we’ve both lied today. I’ll be honest if you are.”
He doesn’t move, doesn’t agree. It’s like he’s made of stone. When the silence becomes unbearable, I do what I’m good at. I fill it.
“To be perfectly honest, I’d rather cuddle Peaches than run from her, but I didn’t want to be seen with you. That’s my truth. Now what’s yours?”
He stands as still as a statue, hands still sunk in his pockets. “After I jumped your car last night, I went straight out and bought a few things.”
I tilt my head, adding everything up. “And then you texted me. Why?”
Finally, he turns away, stalking toward the window as he towers over his line of plants. “Because your car hardly works. It didn’t sound like it’ll last much longer.”
“And?”
“And you were talking about needing work. And it reminded me that I’ve been meaning to get some plants for the house anyway.”
I nod, not completely buying it, but nonetheless grateful. “Good enough answer for me! Where’s your watering can?” When he stares back blankly, I realize just how new this all is for him. “You don’t have one.”
He shakes his head.
Moments later, we’re in the kitchen, and I’m filling an empty coffee pot with water. “You should probably get some supplies for your newly adopted forest. Normally, I’d have some in my car, but myroommate grabbed the wrong box while she was moving out.”
“That’s too bad.”
“It is, but the good thing is that some plants do better with a little coffee grounds in their soil. So in theory, if there’s trace amounts of coffee still in here, some of those plants might like it. I can’t remember which ones. I should probably check.”
Ty stays silent as we walk back to the living room, but in true Avery fashion, my mouth never stops moving.
“I can’t have too much coffee. Makes my stomach hurt. But it doesn't matter these days anyway because my roommate broke my coffee maker. She has a boyfriend named Lars. Plans to move in with him, so I don’t technically have a roommate anymore either. She isn’t going to replace my coffee maker anyway. I was thinking about maybe getting a French press this time around.”
Ty remains silent as I water each plant, and after about ten minutes, I realize I haven’t stopped talking once.
I clear my throat. “Sorry. I can be a bit of an oversharer. At least when I’m nervous.”
I swear I see his lips twitch. “Nervous? Why would you be nervous?”
I consider my words carefully, but I know I need to be honest. Taking care of his plants is not sustainable. “You signed the same contract as I did.” I stop watering and turn to meet his eyes. “Well, the same contingency: no fraternizing between cheerleaders and players. You know that, so why did you hire me? I shouldn’t be here.”
