Page 43 of He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not

Dax sets the flowers on the counter, turning them, so the card faces her.

‘You’re incredible, Teagan. Never change who you are. I hope you have the best day ever.’ He says it as if they’re old friends and he’s so sincere that she walks around the counter and hugs him.

Shut. Up. Heart. He’s just doing his job.

‘Thank you,’ she says.

He turns to me, raising his eyebrows with a goofy grin as we head to the stairs and it takes me until he’s nearly at the bottom to pull myself together. Eventually, I follow him through the door he’s holding for me.

‘What do you think?’

I think I’m half-stunned into silence and I swoon a little too visibly, making him blush. ‘I’m not trying to make this weird, butwow, you’re charming as hell, Mr Hartley. Seriously, you’re good at this.’

‘Swept off her feet on delivery number one. You’re going to have a long day.’

‘How did I never see this side of you before?’

‘Not sure it existed until long after you’d left town, and I’d finally grown into my awkwardness.’ He opens my door for me and I climb in, grinning like a loon as I do.

‘Don’t go falling in love with me now.’ He winks, closing the door as my heart does a flip, then swan dives right into my stomach with a splash.

‘I like this, Dax,’ I say as we drive through the city. ‘I’m sorry I missed the transition, though.’

‘Consider yourself lucky. That was a rough couple of years.’ He fidgets with the radio station for a moment. ‘I’m still the same guy you used to know. Totally nerdy, but now I know who I am.’

‘Nah,’ I say. ‘You’re different. Better.’ I flash him a smile, lacking the brainpower to use any other words.

He grins shyly. ‘I think you’re better too, Hols.’

‘How?I’m a mess.’

‘You’re raw. You’ve got nothing to hide and everything at risk. You’re surviving after heartbreak. That’s honorable.’ He glances over as though he sincerely believes this.

‘How come you don’t have a girlfriend?’

Might as well make this as awkward as possible, right?

He shrugs, thinking about his answer before speaking. ‘I guess I put my career first. Women don’t love that. Then there’s the fact that I haven’t found anyone I want to get close to. I dunno. Maybe one day, some woman will sweep me off my feet when I least expect it.’

‘I don’t doubt you’ll do the sweeping.’

‘Ha!’ He bursts out a laugh. ‘I let the flowers do the sweeping nowadays.’

‘Is that your move? Bringing women flowers to entice them to come home with you?’

‘No.’

‘No, you don’t bring them flowers, or no, you don’t woo them at all?’ Hard to believe after just watching him talk his way into a hug by a stranger on the first stop.

‘Both?’ He glances at me with his brows drawn together. ‘In my opinion flowers are for the women I have feelings for, that mean something big in my life. I hope this doesn’t hurt the image of me you’re building in your head, but I don’t hand them out willy-nilly to the women I have casual relationships with.’ He pauses momentarily. ‘My dad brought flowers to my mom every day they were together. I didn’t understand it at the time, but I do now.’

‘But you brought me flowers?’ I say, thinking back to the daisies that lived in a glass of water on River’s dresser for the few days I kept them alive. ‘I’m almost certain I’m just some casual girl living in the bedroom next to yours.’

‘Oh, Hollyn,’ he says, a small sigh leaving his lips as he shakes his head. ‘You are an entirely other story.’

I wonder what that means? Don’t overthink it. It’s probably completely innocent. I look back at the flowers behind me. They line one side of the van, arrangements kept safe in wooden boxes that line the floor. Everything is so pretty. Him included.

‘This next delivery is probably the most adorable thing I’ve had the pleasure of doing. They’re for a nine-year-old girl who recently won the state spelling bee.’ He pulls up in front of a brightly painted school. ‘Her parents thought these would make her day.’

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