Page 160 of Lovestruck at Sundown
William sat on a stool without a second thought, and I sat next to him. It seemed like a fun activity. We could go wash up after we were done, so it was not a big deal.
We were provided with plastic aprons, which we wore to avoid getting any clay or soil on our outfits. William removed his jacket and rolled up his sleeves before putting on his apron. Jackie, our station guide, seemed enthralled by William’s presence.
Jackie placed a large mixing bowl in front of us to share and walked us through the process. We added air-dry clay and potting soil to the bowl using a 5-part clay to 1-part soil ratio. Then Jackie gave us a few seed options to choose from. We ended up adding Black-Eyed Susans and Purple Coneflower seeds. We mixed in water gradually, aiming to create a cookie dough consistency. William was in his element. This activity was like cooking without food.
Before we knew it, a small crowd surrounded the station, watching us roll the mixture into small balls. The photographers quickly joined in and took photos of us participating in the activity. An older couple joined the fun, and by the time we were done rolling the last of the seed bombs, two women occupied the last empty seats.
William took one of the seed bombs and brought it closer to my mouth as if to feed it to me like a snack. I laughed and playfully pushed his hand away. He shrugged and pretended almost to take a bite, but I stopped him before he did. The photographers were having a blast. And the rest of the people at the seed bomb station were delighted with our interaction.
Jackie took our tray and told us she would keep them for the rest of the night and deliver a small bag to our table once they’d dried off a bit. But she told us to leave them out to dry for at least twenty-four hours once we arrived home and then store them in a cool, dry place. Before we left for the restrooms to wash up,Jackie asked one of the hostesses to help take William’s jacket to our table so it wouldn’t get dirty.
After washing my hands, I retouched my makeup and walked out to find William leaning against the wall, looking at his phone and giving his back to me. But when I approached him and saw his phone’s screen, I almost fainted.
“Who is that?” I whispered, my gaze confused and questioning. He was scrolling quickly through photos of a naked woman. Only it didn’t seem like a porn site. He was on the iMessage app.
William flinched. “Shit, you scared me.” He locked his phone. “It’s nothing. No one.”
“Nothing?” I scoffed. “Well, tellno oneshe has a great set of tits.”
I stormed off, not knowing where exactly I was going. I knew I couldn’t return to our table feeling this upset. People would notice, and I didn’t have the energy to pretend otherwise. God. I needed to get out of here. I needed fresh air.
Before I could take a third step, William’s hand closed around my wrist, stopping me in my tracks. “Let go.” His grip was tight but not constricting in a way that was hurting me. Still, I tried wriggling away, but it was useless. He stood in front of me, all 6 feet 4 inches of him towering over me.
“That was Arabella,” William said, unwilling to let go of me as if afraid I would run away if he did. He wasn’t wrong. That’s when I spotted Aaron close by as he studied our interaction. I signaled our okay sign, and he backed off but remained vigilant.
“Let go of me before Aaron makes you.”
“Will you stay put and let me explain if I do?” William took a step forward, cornering me against the wall.
“Depends.”
“I can work with that.” William released me. “Arabella sentme a few texts followed by the nudes you saw after I ignored her calls. All I did was skim through them. And before you ask, the answer is no. I didn’t reply, nor was I planning on doing so.”
“Then why say it was nothing and no one?” My jaw felt so tight I was having trouble articulating the words correctly.
“I reacted poorly,” he admitted. “There’s nothing I can say or explain that would make me look good in this situation.”
I rested my head back against the wall and looked up.
“You don’t trust that I’m telling the truth.” A statement. Not a question. How dare he?
“I don’t trust you?” I let out an annoyed laugh that faded into a downturned smile. “I fucking signed off on two documents you sent my way on your birthday. Blindly. And you still won’t even tell me what those are.” I crossed my arms at my chest and sucked in my cheeks, releasing them with a soft click of my tongue. “So don’t tell me I don’t trust you. I’m fucking upset, that’s what.”
“I’m sorry you had to see that. I’ll handle it,” he said. “I understand why you’re upset.”
“Do you, William?” My eyes stung, but I blinked away the tears before letting them pool around the edges. “Just put yourself in my shoes for a second. She’s calling you non-stop, then sending you nudes. It looks bad, and as much as I trust you, I need to give my brain something to make sense of it. To stop it from making up scenarios and thinking the worst. So, you telling me it’s nothing or that you’ll handle it doesn’t cut it, unfortunately.”
“Whatever I say won’t be enough. Take a look at it yourself.” He unlocked his phone, pulled up Arabella’s thread. “I’ve got nothing to hide.”
Without a second thought, I started reading.
Arabella:Just pick up the damn phone already and stop acting like a child. I know you rejected the project because
I was brought in. And I don’t know if you’re doing that to
pressure the producers into casting someone else for my part, but that’s absurd.
Arabella:Since when did you become so righteous? Rejecting projects to keep your girlfriend happy. Pathetic.
