Page 39 of Make Her Mine
“Thanks.” Who would’ve sent me flowers for no reason whatsoever? It wasn’t my birthday or anything like that. Not that my family ever sent me flowers on that occasion anyhow!
I went to the kitchen to find a vase. Placing them on the bar, I got a funny look from Todd when he came out of the pantry. “Flowers?”
Nodding as I opened the envelope, I clued him in. “They’re for me. Who would send me flowers?” As I pulled out the miniature card, I gasped. “No!”
My sister walked through the rear entrance, her eyes as big as saucers. “Whoa, who got those beauties?”
Todd bursted, “Ella. But she’s yet to tell us who they’re from.”
“So?” Darleen asked, “Who sent them?”
I picked up the roses, then promptly shoved them into the trash can. “Some jackass.” I tossed the note in, too, and turned to walk away.
Leaving the kitchen, I stormed to my bedroom, trying not to cry. Why did Brandon send me flowers when he was telling some other girl that he loved her? It was infuriating!
Plopping on the bed, I once again buried my face in my pillow to scream obscenities until I fell asleep. Hours later, my sister pounded on the door. “Ella, wake up! You’ve been sleeping all day.”
My head hurt when I picked it up from the pillow. “Huh?” The room had been lit by sunlight, yet now it was dark. “What time is it?”
“Eight,” Darleen called out. “Come on, you need to eat something.”
Climbing out of bed, I ran my hands through my hair as I went to open my door. “I must’ve dozed off.”
“For six hours?” she asked. “That’s not dozing, that’s full-on passed out. What’s up?”
Shrugging, I went past her to go get a drink from the kitchen. And that’s when I saw the flowers again. They were put into a vase and sitting on our kitchen table. “Who brought these here?”
“I did,” Darleen declared. “They’re dazzling, and you shouldn’t have thrown them away.”
“Idon’twant them.” I went to get a bottle of water, trying to ignore the powerful scent of the roses. “They reek.” They didn’t stink at all; they smelled wonderful, but I didn’t want them.
Darleen picked up the note that came with them off the table. “Brandon sent these. He left his number and asked you to call him once you got them. I think he’d like to ask you out on a date.”
My brother Kyle walked in through the front door. “Who’s asking who out on a date?”
Darleen smiled. “Brandon is asking Ella out. At least I think he wants to.” She handed him the note, then gestured to the flowers. “That came with these.”
Kyle’s face turned ruby red. “That son of a bitch! Who does he think he is?” Turning on his heel, he headed toward the door.
Why is he so mad? “What are you doing, Kyle?”
“I’m going to go kick his ass and set him straight.” He flung open the door, then stormed out.
Darleen and I looked at each other surprised then ran after him. “No,” she shouted. “Kyle, don’t do anything stupid!”
I caught up to him and grabbed him by the arm. “Kyle, he’ll fire you!”
“So what?” He jerked his arm out of my hand. “Let me deal with this.”
Darleen grabbed me as Kyle flew out of the house. “It’s no use. Let him go. At least Brandon won’t bother you anymore. That is what you want, right? I mean you did toss those flowers in the trash. You must not want anything to do with the guy.”
Panting after getting heated up by Kyle’s reaction, I nodded. “Yeah, I guess.”
We returned to our quarters, and she put her arm around my shoulders. “Why don’t you want anything to do with him, Ella?”
“The same reason I don’t want anything to do with anyone.” I stepped away from her to go inside. I didn’t want to admit I was afraid, or for anyone else to know what I knew now.
Brandon would hate me soon. My brother would see to that. Maybe it was all for the best. He could stop pretending to like me. He could focus on that girl he was talking to the night before and leave me out of his sights.
