Page 7
I turn to organize my things on my desk, and my eyes land on a massive bouquet sitting in a glass vase. The vibrant colors are full and tall, spilling out from the glass holding them. My confused, and now apparently morbid, brain only registers them as corruption. Deep reds that remind me of dried blood, stark white lilies that resemble the skin of someone who has died, and purple blooms that are so dark they’re nearly black, replicating the shadows that covered the man’s eyes in my dream.
It’s beautiful. It’s deeply disturbing.
“Those were delivered about an hour ago.” Lydia’s voice comes from behind me as she shuffles into the room. Her face is marked with a smile that seems to know more than it should. I can feel my insides clench.
“Did they say who sent them?” I ask.
“The delivery boy didn’t say, but I assumed Caleb. Though these are much more sophisticated than his usual choice.” She moves in closer, sniffing the perfumed flowers.
Lydia isn’t wrong; Caleb’s idea of romance was a handful of nearly wilted flowers that he could grab at the liquor store. I’d only ever receive them if he really hurt me. But these flowers? They look elegant… and expensive.
“Yeah, maybe,” I mumble as I grab the small note that is nestled between the red and white flowers.
When two souls meet,
It has the potential for profound change.
I can feel that deep within me.
– Ghost
The words feel as if they’re pulsating throughout my body. My sight blurs for a moment, and I have to grip the desk to keep myself upright. I inhale deeply, holding it in for a moment, trying to keep my composure in front of Lydia. Quickly, I shove the note in my pocket.
I pray that Lydia didn’t read it, but knowing how nosy she is, she probably already got her hands on it and could recite it by memory if asked to.
“I’ve got to get to work; have a good rest of your day!” I force cheer into my voice, but I can hear how the fake tone bounces off the walls of the small space.
When I come out of the office, Hudson is still in the same spot he was when I first arrived. His smile returns when he sees me again.
“I realize maybe my tired comment was a little harsh, so I’m requesting a restart… Good morning, Wynnie.”
“Good afternoon, Hudson.” I tease in a failed attempt to mask my discomfort.
“You enjoy your morning off?”
I didn’t expect it to, but the question catches me off guard. My morning? I can’t tell him that I spent the entire morning pacing around my house like a fucking madwoman, obsessively searching for any sign that last night was real. There just isn’t a way to tell someone you found yourself sniffing floorboards.
“Oh… yeah… it was fine. I spent the morning being lazy. Made some coffee, watched some TV, and caught up on some reading. Nothing too wild.”
The lie comes out too easily, sliding past my lips as if I had rehearsed it. Hudson gives me a slow nod, but his face suggests he doesn’t quite believe me.
“You sure you’re feeling alright today? You seem a little, I don’t know… different?”
Different. The observation is unsettling. What can he see about me that is so noticeably different?
“I’m totally fine. Seriously.”
Hudson pauses for a brief moment, sucking in some air through his teeth. “Well, what about those flowers? Insane. They’re from Caleb?”
The lie should’ve come as easily as it had moments ago, but before I can think of an appropriate answer, the truth slips out into the open.
“No, I don’t think so.”
His gaze softens a little as he picks up on the energy I apparently can’t hide. The concern in his eyes makes me want to confess everything, run away, and never speak of the confusion I’m experiencing again.
“Everything okay with you two?”
“Uh, no.” I bite my bottom lip, a punishment for telling him the truth. It isn’t something I want to admit to anyone—especially not Hudson, who has always been a little too interested in my personal life.
