Chapter 5
Juliette spent the remainder of her afternoon getting reacquainted with the flower shop where she’d spent nearly every day of her youth. It was a necessary distraction if she wanted to ignore the rush of confusion and overwhelm that plagued her the moment she’d laid eyes on Brockton Gallagher.
He was the last person she expected—or wanted—to see.
The way he watched her…it was the same way he’d looked at her so many years before.
He always had a way of making her feel like she was the only one in the whole world whenever they were together.
The only one that mattered. The only one he wanted.
And that look, the one where his melty amber gaze sort of lazily drifted over her, still caused her heart to nearly skitter out of her chest. But then he had the nerve to offer her a job, as though he didn’t remember breaking her heart.
Well, she didn’t want his sympathy. She didn’t want his help. She didn’t want to have anything to do with him. She could manage just fine on her own.
She climbed the stairs to the apartment, telling herself she was just going to check and see if she had missed any calls. She grabbed her phone off the nightstand and felt a sharp, stinging slice of pain cut through her heart when she realized she’d missed nothing.
No calls.
No texts.
Nothing.
Not even from her “friends” in D.C.
In retrospect, they were Rodrigo’s friends.
She’d been an outsider of their clique since the beginning, and slowly they’d welcomed her into their tight-knit circle.
If she was being honest, it took months before they even treated her like a human.
They talked at her or around her, never quite holding a worthwhile conversation with her.
But she was merely passing through a season of their lives.
A memory easily made, quickly forgotten. Their loyalty was to Rodrigo.
To them, she was nothing but a glimpse in time.
A chilled breath shuddered out of her, and she headed back downstairs to the flower shop.
Warm winter sunlight spilled into the shop, illuminating the rustic hardwood floors with a cozy glow.
The window display was rather bare, with a few haphazard blooms competing over too much empty space.
Toward the back of the shop was the massive cooler for storage and the office where her mother met with future brides.
Multiple wooden tables where they created floral displays were lined up a few feet apart from one another.
Edison light bulbs were strung along the overhead beams of the ceiling, offering warm, ambient lighting.
Overall, the atmosphere of the shop was not quite like she remembered. At one point it was classy yet rigid, strict yet refined. Now, the vibe was incredibly artistic and bohemian.
Juliette could see why her sisters hadn’t been in a rush to leave.
Adrienne and Vivianne were right; Mystic Florals had grown exponentially.
The shop’s busiest months were during the wedding seasons—May and June, September and October—yet despite weddings taking place throughout the year, it seemed there was another driving force of income.
As it would happen, her mother had created quite the following, and many customers ordered flowers through social media.
Not to mention the everyday flowers, holiday flowers, and corporate events that drove sales even higher.
While both Adrienne and Vivianne worked on custom floral designs, they’d also taken up separate aspects of the business.
Vivianne gained traction as an influencer, which caused the marketing campaign for Mystic Florals to skyrocket, while Adrienne’s focus was on photography.
Not only did she design bouquets and centerpieces for brides, but she also offered wedding photography services.
Offering a two-for-one deal for brides was hard to refuse.
Since her mother was in the office on a phone call, Juliette wandered over to where her twin sisters worked near the table stations, while Parisian jazz crooned softly out of the overhead speakers.
Adrienne was curled up on a cushioned bench with her tablet in hand, sketching out some designs for wedding bouquets.
Juliette watched quietly as her sister’s vision gradually took form on the screen.
It was a breathtaking teardrop-shaped bouquet overflowing with coral and fuchsia garden roses, sprays of eucalyptus, and creamy peach ranunculus.
It would be beautiful for the upcoming spring season.
Vivianne, on the other hand, had the sleeves of her sweater rolled to her elbows and was assembling a winter bouquet. The wooden table was spread with an assortment of lilacs, pale blue dahlias, and white roses with a few sprigs of fern for a touch of greenery.
Juliette lifted one of the lilac stems and twirled it between her fingers. “I didn’t think we could get lilacs so early in the year.”
“Mama has changed her suppliers. There’s a warehouse not far from here, and they deliver to us every morning.
” Vivianne shuffled the stems and wrapped them delicately in a bundle of brown parchment paper.
“Most of our flowers come from Colombia now, so they’re much more accessible throughout the year. ”
Juliette’s jaw dropped. “Wow. That’s…”
Incredible.
“Great,” she finished pathetically and handed the lilac stem to her sister. But Vivianne shoved the bouquet into her hands instead. Juliette closed her eyes and inhaled the enchanting, sweet scent of the flowers, just as her sister snapped a picture on her phone.
“Viv!” Juliette’s eyes flew open and heat scalded her cheeks. “I’m wearing last night’s makeup. I haven’t even washed my hair yet.”
Her sister brushed off her concern with a wave of her hand. “Most of your face was hidden by the bouquet, anyway. Besides, followers love behind-the-scenes action.”
Juliette looked to Adrienne for backup, but the twin lifted one shoulder and smiled. “It’s all for the sake of content, Jules.”
“Fine,” Juliette grumbled. “But next time at least let me wash my face.”
Both sets of frosty green eyes landed on her.
Adrienne perked up right away, her discarded tablet landing in her lap. “Are you saying there’ll be a next time?”
“Oh, um…” Juliette had no idea what she was saying.
It was too soon to tell. She didn’t know how long she planned on staying in Mystic Cove.
All she knew was she had no money, no job, and no future.
None of which she was ready to admit to her sisters.
“I haven’t decided yet. But I’ll have to stay for a little while, at least until—”
“You find something better?” Vivianne interjected, her face devoid of any emotion.
“Viv,” Adrienne admonished in a hushed tone.
“No, she’s right.” Juliette bit her bottom lip. “It’s not really a matter of finding something better, though. It’s more like just finding…something. Anything at this point.”
Adrienne placed her tablet on the small coffee table in front of her and stood, coming to Juliette’s side. She draped one arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. “Do you want to tell us what happened?”
“Rodrigo found someone else.” It caused Juliette’s heart to pinch, but at least now there was no threat of tears. “He told me I wasn’t the same, that I’d forgotten who I wanted to become.”
“Come on, Jules.” Vivianne uploaded the picture of Juliette to the shop’s social accounts. “You know what Adri meant, we want to know what really happened.”
“I know.” Juliette wrapped her arms around herself and leaned into the comfort of Adrienne’s embrace. “He found someone better. Someone more at his level, which is fine because he deserves as much. Everyone deserves to be happy.”
“That’s right. Everyone deserves to be happy.
Including you,” Vivianne interrupted and gave Juliette’s hand a reassuring squeeze.
“You’re amazing, Jules. You’re caring and nurturing.
You’ve got a great personality. And sure, your hair is always in a messy bun, and I think you secretly love wearing sweatpants, but we wouldn’t want you any other way. ”
Juliette choked out a laugh.
“Viv’s right.” Adrienne squeezed her again. “You always put everyone before yourself. When Mama started the flower shop, you stepped up for us. You were the one who basically raised us. You took care of us. Now, let us do the same for you.”
One hot tear rolled down Juliette’s cheek, and she hastily swiped it away. She hadn’t expected to be overcome with so much emotion, for her heart to be filled by her sisters’ love. But she was beyond grateful for both of them.
“Thank you. Seriously. So much.” Her nose burned and she sniffled, blinking away the threat of more tears. “I’m sorry I was so distant. And I’m sorry if you felt like I abandoned you.”
And she was sorry. Truly. When she left Mystic Cove, riding the high of Rodrigo’s profession of love and fragile, glass-ceiling promises, her intent had been never to speak to her mother again.
But she hadn’t imagined her actions would trickle down and splinter her relationships with all four of her sisters.
Except the distance and space she needed eventually evolved into longer stretches of time until not speaking to each other regularly became the norm.
Adrienne and Vivianne called every so often to check in on her, but even then the silence between them grew deafening.
So, Juliette carried on without them. She made a life she thought she wanted without them. She attended galas on Rodrigo’s arm, went to art galleries and benefits, partied in the thick of summer on outdoor terraces, all while pretending to be doing something worthwhile.
Yet she’d accomplished nothing.
She was back where she started. She’d returned to the beginning. A small-town girl who thought she could survive in the big city, but now she was more of a nobody than ever before. No accomplishments or achievements. A swift, jagged reminder she wasn’t good enough.
Again.