Seth
Our weekend away is cut short. Obviously.
One night in the dingy motel is enough for us, and while I wanted more time alone with her, it feels like a win to give her a single night of relaxation.
When I find other ways to keep Rowan away from work.
We spend some time with her sisters, drink at the tavern, and visit the greenhouse again.
Tomorrow, it will be back to work for both of us. Way too soon.
I can tell she’s stressed out. We spend the night at my place, and she tosses and turns next to me, like she’s trying to avoid sleeping.
In the morning, she’s gone before I wake up.
Her responses to my texts are short, but I know that’s just Rowan.
She gets locked into whatever she’s doing. In this case, it’s work.
I have the day off, but I still stop by the flower shop. I’ve been surrounded by coffee and flowers for so long that it feels a bit like home when I approach the purple demon as he carefully places long-stemmed flowers in color-coordinated vases.
He beams at me. “I was hoping to see you today. Did you come to lend a helping hand? The gods know I need it.”
“Um… yes and no. I’m actually here to get a gift. For Rowan.”
He narrows his eyes. “Rowan Hawthorne?”
“Uh-huh. We’re… seeing each other.”
That’s true—we are, and it’s still new, but the words don’t feel like enough to describe what we really are. Heat creeps up my neck, and I have a feeling that Donnie—a pleasure demon—knows exactly what’s going on.
Or maybe it’s my anxiety talking.
“Then we’ll have to put together the perfect bouquet,” he says. “Especially when she was just at the ball with… who was it again? David?”
I nod stiffly. Dave was once a good friend of mine, and a little more than that.
There’s no reason for me to still feel so jealous, not now that she picked me.
I’m sure it wasn’t a simple choice. He would be a better boyfriend, but I’m willing to work hard and pass whatever expectations she has for me.
“Ah, well. Sometimes things take a turn that way. Do you know what sort of flowers she enjoys?”
“I don’t…” My lips tug up at the corners. “But I’ve had a bouquet in mind for her for a while.”
“Shall we see what you can put together?”
“I’m not as good as you—”
“Nevertheless, I would like to see.” He gestures around the shop. “Go on.”
Lavender roses. Delphinium. White lisianthus. Dusty Miller. White starflower. And a sprig of rosemary. I bundle the flowers together in a vase, and Donnie looms behind me, quiet.
“Well…?” I turn to him. “What do you think?”
He tilts his head to the side. “I was worried that the blue of the delphinium would overpower the lavender roses, but all the white flowers bring a lovely balance. I think she’ll like it.”
Maybe he’s right. Maybe the colors are too bright—especially for Rowan, who has always seemed so perfectly muted.
“Are you sure?”
“Oh, yes. I’m positive. And you’d better tell her you arranged it yourself. That will certainly earn you some points.” He inspects me quietly. “Now, tell me. Have you given any further thought to the community garden?”
I shake my head. “I haven’t had time for any of that.”
Between hexes, taking care of my mom, working, and spending time with Rowan, I’ve had other things to focus on.
But now… well, I’m not worried about the hex anymore.
Or I shouldn’t be. There’s no doing away with any of my other responsibilities, though.
I need my job at the café. Do I really have time for another full-time project?
Rowan would understand if I had to shift my attention a little, but I want this to be different. I don’t want something that will take my attention away from her. Scarlet could confirm what I already know: my one-track mind can make me a bad boyfriend.
But how much can I juggle? And how upset would Rowan be if she knew I was turning down this opportunity?
“I’ll get back to you soon,” I say. “Promise.”
“Well, if you promise… I have good news for you as well.” He turns around and dips into his office, returning with a plant in a familiar brown, glossy pot. “Your calathea, ready to return home.”
My eyes widen. “Really? I have the grow light ready—”
“Good.” He nods. “Then, with the warmer seasons sure to come, I think this little one will do much better.”
I can’t fight the smile on my face. After a weekend of highs and lows—hell, a month of highs and lows—this is exactly the win I need.
I take the pot in my free arm. “Thanks, man.”
Someone enters the shop and gasps—Farrah. Instead of going to the café, she beelines right for Donnie and me.
“Those are so pretty,” she gushes. “Are they for someone special?”
Farrah has always loved love—I know that about her. It’s probably why she gets along so well with Aspen. They’ll be gossiping about Rowan and me in no time. Now that her family knows, I don’t need to hide it from my friends… right?
“They’re for Rowan.” I lift my chin and puff out my chest.
Her smile grows, and her eyes widen, something that would be terrifying on anyone else—but it looks kind of funny on Farrah, I guess. “Oh! Are you two…? I mean, I thought I saw something, but I didn’t realize—”
“It’s really new. But it’s serious.”
“That’s—that’s so great. I’m going to.” She points a thumb over her shoulder and shuffles away.
Donnie watches me closely but says nothing as I leave.
Rowan works from home. There’s a little desk in the corner of her room, the one spot of chaos in her otherwise well-curated life. The rest of her room is perfectly neat—bed made every morning, shoes lined up in her small closet, dusted regularly.
Her desk is piled with books, papers, and scribbles of late-night thoughts. It’s probably my favorite spot in her room. She’s there when I enter, clicking away on her keyboard.
She hardly seems to notice I’m there. I stand in the doorway, smiling to myself and watching her type away.
“What is it?” she asks without looking away from the screen.
Seems like she discovered me after all.
“Nothing. I don’t want to interrupt.” I set the flower vase down on her desk. “Just brought something to brighten the space up.”
She looks up then, her glasses sliding down her nose. Her attention drifts from me to the bouquet and back again. “You brought this…?”
I scratch the back of my neck. “I did. Arranged it myself and everything.”
I barely get the words out before she’s on her feet, both arms flinging around my neck. It’s moments like these, more than anything else, that remind me how much everything has changed with Rowan. She’s never been the hugging type, and now, she does it easily.
For so long, I didn’t realize what we were, but I’m going to soak up every minute with her. Every moment like this. I bend closer, wrapping my arms around her waist and burying my face in the crook of her neck.
“It’s lovely,” she says, pulling away long enough for me to give her a peck on the lips. “I can’t believe you arranged this. You have a real talent.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I do.”
“Eh, I think I still prefer growing more than arranging, but… it was fun to try out.”
“You’re talented in many ways.” She pats the side of my face.
I can’t stop smiling. It’s a good workout for my cheek muscles, but I can’t stop, and I don’t want to. Being around Rowan makes all my smiles real, makes them worth it.
“Sorry. I didn’t want to distract you.”
“But you are my favorite distraction…”
Giving her a real distraction is tempting. Rowan works too much, but I know she cares about her work, and if I become something that keeps her away from it, it could sour our relationship. I’ll always support her in taking some downtime, but I won’t impede her goals.
I chuckle and shake my head. “Text me after work, and I’ll give you the best distraction of your life.”
“I will.” She settles back into her desk, looks at the flowers again, and smiles. “Just a few more hours.”
That night, as promised, she texts me at exactly five o’clock.
One simple text.
Rowan
Don’t freak out.
Obviously, I’m already freaking out. Another text comes swiftly.
Rowan
But I’m coming home from the doctor now. I’m sick.