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Chapter Twenty
Blue
––––––––
Roses may be red,
but violets arenotBLUE.
Just five more days until
You’ll be saying I love you.
Have I won yet?
Idrop the card facedown on my desk, not sure why I’m surprised that I walked into work this morning to find a beautiful bouquet of blue and red flowers sitting on my desk. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about Harris over the past few weeks it’s that he likes sending me flowers.
I haven’t seen him since Friday night. As much as I’d wanted to go home with him after we leftThe White Orchid,after my talk with Hannah in the bathroom I felt like maybe a little time alone would do me some good.
Harris spent Saturday with his brother before taking him to the airport that evening. He called me after but I let it go to voicemail.
Sunday I was doing laundry, cleaning my apartment, and got an hour of cardio in at the gym. But even after all of that I couldn’t sit still. I can’t remember a time I’ve ever felt more restless.
It took every ounce of will power I had not to pick up the phone and call Harris last night. I wanted to see him so badly I could taste it, yet for some reason I resisted. I think maybe it’s because I know this is coming to an end. Our bet ends this Friday. Then it will all be over and life will finally start to go back to normal.
Normal...
I’m not even sure what that looks like anymore.
“Hey.” Hannah slides up next to my cubicle, extending a coffee from my favorite café down the street. “Peace offering?” She smiles, shoving the cup into my hand.
“Peace offering? I didn’t realize we were at war.” I chuckle, turning to set the coffee next to my keyboard.
“I think I might have overstepped on Friday. I blame the alcohol but we both know it’s just a byproduct of my inability to mind my own business.”
“You didn’t overstep. You were just trying to help.”
“And yet I always think helping you is making you see things my way. It shouldn’t be that way. You’re a grown woman and I think by now you know who you are and what you want out of life. I need to be more supportive of that.”
“Thank you. That means a lot.”
“I just...I don’t know. I guess I’m jealous. I want so desperately for someone to look at me the way Harris looks at you. I can’t help but think you’re making a mistake by letting him go. But if I step back and look at it objectively, I get it. You’re not interested in a long-term commitment and you know what, that’s okay. There are tons of people who live their entire lives that way. So I guess I just wanted to say that I’ll try to be more understanding and I love you, no matter what.”
“I love you, too.” I stand, wrapping my best friend in a tight hug.
“Are those from Harris?” she asks, eyeballing the flowers over my shoulder.
“Who else?” I shake my head as I take a step back. “The man certainly likes sending flowers.”
“This is what–? The third time he’s sent them?”
“The fourth actually.” I snort out a laugh.
“I think it’s sweet.”
“It is. Harris is... surprising. I’ll give him that. I thought I knew exactly who he was, but after the last three weeks I’m starting to realize I didn’t know anything.”
“I don’t want to be the one to say I told you so,” she starts but I cut her off.
