I stood behind the register for a long moment, staring at the entrance, trying to convince myself to get back to work. I couldn't. I simply didn't have the mental strength to smile at customers today.
I didn't have the energy to answer questions about bouquets or wedding arrangements, or to suggest sweet anniversary gift ideas, while my own heart felt like it had been ripped out of my chest. Thankfully, there weren't any major events scheduled for today or tomorrow.
We weren't setting up a wedding. We weren't decorating a ballroom. Nothing pressing required my attention. So, I locked the front door, flipped the sign to CLOSED, and made my way to my cottage behind the shop.
The silence that greeted me inside was both a relief and a curse. I kicked off my sandals near the door, then headed straight for the bathroom and took a long shower, hoping the hot water would wash away everything I was feeling.
It didn't.
Rome's face remained burned into my memory. His smile. His hopeful eyes. The way his voice had trembled when he'd asked me to go out with him. Then there was the disappointment that settled over his features after I'd told him I had a boyfriend.
A lump formed in my throat at that memory. Maybe I shouldn’t have gone with the boyfriend plan. I’d created the image of me and the guy in the picture with Photoshop. He wasn’t a real person.
He didn’t exist in real life. If Rome went looking for him, he’d never find him. I’d hoped seeing that would make him give up on me. I’d hoped it would make him believe I wasn’t his Juliet.
The look in his eyes told me that all I’d done was pissed him off and make him more determined to have me. My plan had backfired in the worst way. I couldn’t just wait around to see what the fallout would be.
I had to get ahead of this. But first, I wanted a nap. My mind, body, and heart needed to rest. After showering and drying off, I slipped on one of my oversized t-shirts and climbed into bed.
I pulled the covers up to my chin and stared into the darkness, waiting for a sleep that never came. Instead, tears quietly slipped down my cheeks as I lay there thinking about Rome asking me out on a date.
He'd actually been nervous.
Rome Cattaneo had been nervous.
A man who could probably negotiate million-dollar business deals without breaking a sweat had looked nervous asking a florist if she'd have a drink with him. The memory broke my heart all over again.
I rolled onto my back and wiped impatiently at my eyes. I was so glad Ivy was out on a mission right now. Sure, I hated that a Petal had needed her assistance in Texas. But the timing had been perfect.
Had Ivy been at the shop today, she would've lost her damn mind. If she knew Rome had visited the shop two days in a row, she’d be ready to kill him. Hell, she was already ready to kill him.
And if she'd seen the way I'd behaved around him today, she’d never let me hear the end of it. I squeezed my eyes shut, hating myself for how weak I’d been today. I'd actually walked over to him.
I'd stood beside him, talking about flowers as if we were some budding couple spending a lazy afternoon together instead of enemies standing in the middle of a flower shop where the Marcel incident had started.
For a little while, I'd let myself forget all about my worries. I'd forgotten about Marcel. I'd forgotten about Ettori. I'd forgotten The Circuit and my responsibilities. I'd forgotten everything except the man standing beside me.
That could not happen again.
I couldn’t afford to forget the important things. I couldn’t place a man above the team.Not ever.I rolled onto my side and reached for the lamp on my nightstand, pressing the button at the bottom. Soft light filled the room. My gaze settled on the vase sitting beside it.
Red tulips.
I'd brought them home from the shop today. I refused to dwell on why I’d needed them here with me, today of all days. Ireached for them, my fingers brushing against one of the petals. And for a moment, I could feel Rome next to me again, his fingers caressing the petal next to mine.
As I stared at those flowers, I couldn't help but wonder if Rome was staring at his too? Was he touching them while thinking of me? Did he remember what I’d told him these flowers represented?
Red tulips represent undying love, loyalty, and trust.
I pulled my hand away as a bitter taste formed in my mouth. How dare I say that to a man I’d used and discarded in order to protect the people I loved?Love, loyalty, trust... I’d betrayed all those notions when it came to Rome Cattaneo.
Yet I’d held firm in those notions when it came to my team and my family. I wished I could give that to him and them. I couldn’t have both. It would be greedy of me to even think that was possible. Tearing my gaze away from the tulips, I threw the covers off me.
Lying here crying and staring at flowers wasn't going to solve anything. Rome wasn't going to give up on his pursuit of me. That much was painfully obvious. I needed to get ahead of this situation, and I needed to do it now.
Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stood up. As soon as my feet hit the hardwood floor, I began pacing around my bedroom. I tried to put myself in Rome’s shoes, in his head, wondering what he would do next.
Think, Blossom.
