Page 41 of Words We Didn't Say

Zach scrambled off the bench and stood tall, his shoulders too stiff. His shaking hand smoothed out the invisible wrinkles of his jacket. He straightened his tie. Smiled.

“Well?” I snapped.

“Oh, you know,” he said, trying to play it ultra cool. “Manly man things. Working out. Getting buff.”

I put a hand on my hip. “In a three-piece suit?”

“A gorgeous woman once told me a man in a suit is never overdressed.”

Me. I’d said that. I narrowed my eyes.

“I stopped by because I wanted to give you this.” Zach twisted around to grab his gift off the bench. The oversized pot in his hands burst with green—not flowers this time, but herbs. Basil, mint, and what was hopefully parsley and not cilantro. “It’s a housewarming present.”

I blinked.

“I know it’s not much,” he said. “I was at my parents’ place on the weekend, and Mum was tidying up her herbs.” He thrust the pot closer with a shaky smile. “I made it for you.”

My heart bounced a beat. Zach made me a gift. He’d been thinking about me enough to make me something. I couldn’t stop my hand from fluffing the green leaves sprouting from the dark, earthy soil. I inched closer to steal a sniff.

“Eden.” His eyes pleaded with me. “I’m trying.”

He was, and I hated it. Why couldn’t he have made this effort months ago? “It’s a bit late, don’t you think?”

He shook his head. “Not until you tell me it’s hopeless.” He turned his cheek, his lips flattening. Was he bracing himself for the impact of my stinging words? I was tempted to smack him with a few home truths. My gaze shifted back to the pot. But I wanted his gift so much more.

“There’s a card, too.” He nodded his head at the envelope hiding in all the green.

“I don’t know if I’m ready for another one of your cards,” I mumbled, plucking out the purple square. With one eye screwed shut, I opened it. Huh? The card was blank except for a lazy ‘Z’ written with his fancy fountain pen. There was one more thing inside.

I held up the stem of delicate purple flowers. “A sprig of lavender?”

He grinned. “It’s proof.”

“Of…?”

“My trip to Apartment 14C.”

“Oh.” I cleared my throat, my eyes darting everywhere. “Apartment 14C, you say?”

“You know what I’m talking about, little villain.” Zach chuckled with so much warmth my cheeks heated. “The old lady knocked on my door the morning after you left. She handed me a pair of her kitchen tongs and a garbage bag and instructed me to collect all the undergarments befouling her lavender. I did. Using the tongs. They’re my tongs now. Then her yappy little fluffball peed on my shoes. Twice.”

“Twice, huh?”

He grinned. “I found the lavender yesterday when I was catching up on some laundry. It was a good reminder of what she said to me when I left.”

“And what was that?”

“She told me I was a damn fool for not treating you right.”

“What did you say?”

“I agreed with her.”

I breezed through theback door into the salon’s kitchen. I was Sparkles the Unicorn, prancing over rainbows, nothing but smiles, holding a tray of coffees.

And Andie wasn’t buying it.

Her mocha on almond milk remained untouched in the cardboard tray. Frowning, her eyes locked on the pot of herbs sheltered in the crook of my other arm.

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