15. Hellebore – Meaning Anxiety Relief Tranquilize my anxiety
15
HELLEBORE
(CHRISTMAS ROSE)
MEANING: ANXIETY; RELIEF; TRANQUILIZE MY ANXIETY
OCEAN
________
T here were movers in the house, and there were locks on the kitchen cabinets. There had been since after the bridal salon. The kind used to keep a child out of where they weren’t supposed to be, only amplified with padlocks. In a way, the scale of her pettiness was impressive.
I didn’t know what kind of weight Laura thought I was going to lose with only days till the wedding, but she was doing her best to make it happen. Whether she really thought it was the best way or she wanted to take it one step further after our conversation, it didn’t matter.
But since the wedding was now tomorrow and my dress fitting was complete, movers were here to take everything over to the DuPont mansion. I hadn’t been there yet, but if it was anything like the house Isolde’s parents lived in, it would be stunning.
The movers were doing an amazing job. I felt like I should help them, but they were faster than I was. There was just one thing I was worried about. My hand was on my phone to text one of them, but I wasn’t sure if it was something I should bother them with.
Them .
There was no easy way to refer to them yet.
“Any way I can take that frown off your face?”
I looked up, startled, to find Everett standing in the doorway to my rooms. “What are you doing here? I mean, hi.”
He smiled as he stepped in, and I took him in now that I was over the shock of seeing him at all. No suit this time. Jeans and a long-sleeved shirt that clung to him in ways that were sinful. My eyes bounced away of their own accord. When I saw things like that? I started to think Laura was right about the differences between us.
“I came to make sure everything was going well for the move. And to check on you. We haven’t heard from you since the photograph.”
“Want to make sure I’m not getting cold feet?”
He chuckled and stepped closer. “You’re about to be our wife. We want to make sure you’re doing well.”
The long, slow inhale as he entered my space was imagined, right? He wasn’t scenting me. And he wasn’t looking at me with hunger. That was just my stomach after Laura trying to starve me.
“They’re doing a good job. Almost done.”
“Good.”
“Except—”
Everett’s eyebrows rose. “Except what?”
“It doesn’t matter.” I shook my head. “I was going back and forth about asking, and you don’t need to be bothered.”
He reached out, pausing to see if I would let him touch me. When I didn’t pull away, he slid a hand around my waist and drew our bodies nearly flush. I was already wearing the corset, though my skin was slowly being rubbed raw from the tightness and how long I’d been wearing it. Still, I sucked myself in.
“Or, you can tell me.”
I bit my lip, and his eyes followed the movement. Did he taste like his scent? Almonds and pistachios and a tang of sweetness that reminded me of cookies made with the same ingredients. It was subtle and spicy and rich and I found myself inhaling him just as deeply.
Shaking my head, I swallowed. I must be hungrier than I thought. “My flowers.”
Everett tilted his head. “What about them?”
“I, um, I have a greenhouse here. I breed new types of flowers, and some of the plants belonged to my mother. I’m worried about them if I’m not here to take care of them.”
I didn’t trust Frank and Laura. Now knowing exactly how she felt, she’d ruin all my plants for spite. As it was, the building remained locked at all times, including when I was inside it.
“We don’t have a greenhouse, but we can build one,” he said. “Do you have anyone you trust to take care of them? We’ll pay to make sure they do until we can make a place for them, and I’ll make sure they have no problem accessing it.”
“You would do that?”
The smile he gave me was blinding. “I think you’ll find there’s very little we wouldn’t do for you, Ocean.”
Because I was saving them in their PR nightmare. Well, I supposed they did owe me for that. “Thank you. My employee, Sally. She’d do it. I just need to ask her. But I wasn’t sure they’d let her in.”
Everett’s eyes darkened. “Why wouldn’t they?”
“No reason.” The answer was too quick, and I knew it.
They’d already seen the way Laura acted when we were in Frank’s study, so they probably suspected. But I didn’t want to do anything or say anything until I was already the hell out of here. Even with one day left, things could get worse than locks on cabinets.
Lifting a hand, Everett brushed his thumb over my lower lip where I was biting it again. He freed it and soothed the skin. And I was going to pass out because that was the single hottest thing that had ever happened in my life, sad as it was.
“Once you’re ours, I have some questions I want you to answer, little nymph.”
“I’m not little.” I sidestepped the emotion that ran through me at the word ours .
His eyes crinkled at the corners. “Just nymph then. Though last time I checked, I was still quite a bit taller than you. You’re little to me.”
My face flushed hot. It didn’t feel like he was joking or hiding his meaning. He meant it.
“Nymph?” I asked, mouth dry.
“Mysterious, beautiful, and a woman of many talents. Or maybe I should call you a siren.”
I laughed then. “I’m none of those things.”
Pretty, yes. Beautiful was a stretch. Mysterious? No. With the exception of my aunt and uncle, I tried to be honest and straightforward. And flowers were the only thing I’d ever been good at. So one talent.
He frowned, but didn’t correct me. That was fine. I didn’t need them to flatter me.
Ruby came into the room. “Mind if I toss a few things in with yours, Ocean? I don’t have much here, but I figured this would be easier.”
I stared at her. “What?”
She stared right back. “You didn’t think I was staying here without you, right? I’m coming with you. Got it all set up with your fiancés.” She gave Everett a wave. “Thank you for that.”
My mouth was open in shock. She’d been in our house for years doing what was needed and helping me when we had events and such. “That’s amazing. Yes, of course, do whatever you need to.” I looked at him. “Thank you.”
“You don’t have to thank me for something like that, Ocean. We’re happy to.”
Ruby left us, and I suddenly became aware of how close we were, his hand still on my lower back. “Where are Micah and Cameron?”
“Annoyed they’re not here with me. But we didn’t want to overwhelm you. Annoyed probably isn’t the right word. More like feral.”
Just when I was about to ask him why on earth they would be feral, my stomach interrupted us. I turned red with embarrassment. “It’s been a busy day. Kind of forgot to eat.” Oh, and my aunt is on the warpath and actively trying to prevent me from eating between now and when I say I do .
Everett just smiled again. “I shouldn’t keep you too long. You need to eat something, and if I stay here too long, I’ll be tempted to take you home, when that’s for tomorrow night.”
“Right.”
God, it really was unfair how gorgeous he was. Thick dark hair, icy blue eyes I already knew could both freeze or turn so warm it heated you from the inside. I wasn’t going to think about his body. Because I couldn’t. Especially not today, and especially when I imagined them seeing me after the wedding.
The idea that they might regret it and change their minds. Have an annulment, or even just decide to walk away from me after looking at me…
I shook the thought away. It was the fear I’d had with every partner I’d ever had, few that there were. But dwelling on it right now wasn’t going to get me through the night.
“You really are an Ocean,” he murmured. “So much going on beneath the surface. Hopefully we’ll be able to see it someday.”
Then he let me go and cast a glance around the quickly emptying space. “I’ll see you tomorrow, wife.”
“See you tomorrow.”
He strode out of my room, and I had to catch my breath. The way he said the word wife was positively sinful.
Ruby came up beside me and bumped my shoulder with hers. “I don’t know all the details of how we got here, but things could definitely be worse. Husbands like that?”
“Yeah.” I swallowed, voice hoarse. “It could definitely be worse.”
Now I just had to make sure I got out of this with my heart intact. Because if they kept calling me their wife in that tone, I would fall for them, and when our year was up, the rest of me would be shattered.
At the very least I had friends I knew would pick up the pieces. And, I repeated to myself, I would rather be shattered and free than whole and trapped for five more years.
I dodged out of the way of a mover carrying a box and shook myself out of the spiral. Almost out. So close. I just had to survive until tomorrow.