Chapter Fourteen #2
“For seven years I have run this company. I started the day after Dad died, not one day of grieving. I have been carrying the world’s biggest tech conglomerate on my back since I was twenty-two.
What were you doing, Roman? Outside of bouncing around eighty-seven different universities?
You were eating expensive food, traveling, going through money like it was a Berkeley book burning ceremony, dating hundreds of girls, all while I had no life.
No life. I broke myself to keep this company afloat and to fill Dad’s shoes, which are large and wide, and to keep over 155,000 employees employed and not on the streets!
We’d been trying to merge with Brooks for nearly twelve years, and the door opened, and so I did what Dad had always planned to do.
If the merger blew up… if the merger didn’t work…
it would have been the largest failure the world of tech had ever seen, and our company would sink.
And the only reason it would fail, Roman, is because of a broken engagement.
Do you think I have built this company from where it was six years ago to see it destroyed by… poisonous sentimentality?”
Roman was silenced by this long-winded, but long overdue, retort. He was admittedly ashamed of his behavior which had essentially cursed his brother. But he was worried about Flora. Still.
“I understand not letting the company die, Finn,” Roman replied evenly.
“I just don’t understand why you pushed it so far with her…
she likes you, as completely and totally undeserving as you are.
And if you don’t stop and tell her the truth, that this was all some large con job, then I’ll do it for you. ”
Roman disappeared into the hallway.
Finn was disgusted with himself seconds after. He had shown too much emotion, yes, but the real issue was the guilt.
Roman, as idiotic as he was, was right. Flora did deserve to know what had happened, what he’d done, but he wasn’t sure he could ever bring himself to do it. She’d hate him forever and this was something he did not want to happen. He closed his eyes and sighed.
“I will tell the truth. At least to Flora. She deserves to know.”
He didn’t see her for a few more days and didn’t go looking. He didn’t want to see her. He was trying to work out how to tell her in a way that softened the blow, but he couldn’t divine the right words. It didn’t help that Roman kept stopping by and asking, “Have you told her yet?”
“Roman, get out.”
He was in his office on Thursday afternoon, trying to determine if he should just go to the loft and spill his guts and get it over with when there was a knock on the door.
“Come in. As long as you aren’t Roman.”
“It’s me.”
Finn felt his heart twist again.
“Flora?” he asked.
“Yes.”
What in the world was she doing here? They weren’t speaking. The hospital was an exception to the rule. She’d made an exception for some reason.
He stood as the door opened slightly. Only her eye was visible.
“Can I come in?”
“Yes, of course.”
She stepped inside and locked the door behind her. What had happened? Did she already know? Had Roman told her?
She didn’t look upset.
She looked so—
“Do you have a second? Am I interrupting something?”
“No, not at all. What’s going on?”
“How’s your arm?”
“I mean, it’s been better. It’s clunky and annoying, but I’m milking it at work.”
Flora forced a small smile. “I’m sure.”
There was a solid ten feet between them.
She was wearing a pair of denim shorts that fit well, high tops, high socks, and a white t-shirt. Her hair was down, it had grown to her mid back now, curls everywhere. The familiar scent of sunscreen and lilacs followed her.
“Anyway,” she said now, “I wouldn’t have come in here for any other reason, since we’ve agreed to be strangers for the time being. But I did want to tell you something because it feels… weird not to.”
“What is it?” Finn asked, searching her face.
“Uh, well, I won’t be here for the wedding.
I’m leaving for Paris in two days, and I won’t be back in time.
I know I said it wasn’t your business where I go and I wouldn’t have told you, but it just felt too…
rude not to after the hospital. I don’t want to leave on some horrible note between you and me.
There’s no point. We’re adults, we both entered our, uh, friendship willingly.
I still think distance is wise, but I just wanted to tell you. ”
“Paris?” he asked. “Again?”
She was eyeing the window for some reason.
“Yes, again. I really do love it. I’ve got friends there too.”
Finn nodded. “I see.”
He looked at the window to see what she was looking at. A rose bush was growing close to it and the large pink blooms were swaying in the breeze. Of course that’s what she was looking at. Flower healer.
“Pretty rose,” she said, reading his mind. “Does it smell good?”
“Never smelled it.”
Flora rolled her eyes. “Should have expected no less.”
Without another word, she walked over to the window and gently pulled one of the pink roses inside for a moment to smell it.
“That’s so nice,” she said, smiling. “It’s called Earth Angel.”
Finn watched her, feeling a heavy sickness in the pit of his stomach. He had to tell her the truth—he’d been given the chance, and he’d be a horrible person if he didn’t tell her, even if she hated him forever and jetted off to Paris to marry Alexandre.
“Flora, I—”
“Smell it, Finn. It smells amazing.”
“Oh gosh, you with the roses.”
“Excuse me! You’re the one who bought the ring.”
He raised his hands in surrender, listened and, of course, agreed with her. It did smell amazing. However, this isn’t really what he was noticing. He was noticing how close they were. Only a foot apart now.
Flora must have noticed too because she got quiet.
Earth Angel indeed.
“You leave on Saturday?” he asked now, his voice lowering.
“Yes,” she said, nodding.
The space between them felt charged. Electric. Almost magnetic. A few long moments passed in silence.
“Well, I hope you enjoy Paris,” he said, his voice now at a whisper.
“I will. I guess I’ll see you when I get back.”
“When will that be?”
“I’m not really sure.”
“No return flight?”
“No. I will come back eventually, just not any time soon. Finn, you must understand, I need to get some dista—”
He reached out, caught the edge of her shirt with his good arm, and pulled her in. Then he kissed her like it was the last thing he’d ever be allowed to do.
Flora could barely think as it happened. One second, she’d been explaining herself, the next Finn Woodhouse was kissing her like he’d been starved of it for centuries.
Her brain was in a full tailspin, and she thought maybe she was going to black out.
She blinked in surprise when it ended.
Only a few seconds passed before—
“Please,” he said, voice low, like he already knew he shouldn’t be asking.
Flora hesitated for half a second, then leaned in again.
“Finn,” she muttered, “this is crazy.”
“Is it?” he asked.
A few moments passed, then they broke apart—both shocked, both breathless, their foreheads touching. Neither of them able to step away.
“Finn, I can’t bel—”
“Flora, I need to tell—”
A knock on the door interrupted them.
The only thing that kept Roman from barging through was the fact that Flora had locked the door when she walked in.
“Finn!” Roman shouted, banging on the door, trying to turn the handle. “Finn, I may or may not have driven the Raptor into the garage door because I thought I ran over a cat! And I might have also hit our Ducatis.”
Silence still held between them.
“Finn! I know you’re in there! The light is on!” Roman shouted now. “I can’t get the garage door off the Raptor. It’s stuck.”
“Is he in there?” Mrs. Woodhouse asked now. “Why is the door locked? Finn! Are you okay? Roman! What if he’s had another—run around the back and check!”
Flora exhaled and they broke apart.
“Never a moment of peace,” Finn groaned. “We don’t even have a cat… give me a minute, you two! I’m on the phone!”
“Well, hurry up!” Roman shouted. “I almost just had to run a 10k to see if you’d had another heart attack!”
Without another word, Flora slipped out the window and ran off.