Page 76 of Wildflower
“No, it’s the truth. You look sad, and I wanted to tell you that you can talk to me.”
“Thank you, Kaia, I appreciate that.”
She sits down on the vacant chair next to mine and rolls closer.
“Oh, you meant right away?”
“Yes.”
Do I want to talk to her about this? Even though we’re becoming friends, she’s still my colleague.
Ah, fuck it, at least I can share something.
“I met this guy … and he’s not texting me back.”
She nods.
I shrug.
“That’s it?” she asks, and her eyes dart around. She shifts in her chair and cranes her neck. Is there someone behind me? I turn to check, but I can’t see what she sees from this angle.
“I guess I’m just sad about it, you know. I felt he liked me, and I could be myself with him.”
She nods again. “I thought it was because of Silas. I heard you guys had a fight. He told me he switched to the Dragon Trials expansion team so you wouldn’t have to pine over him.”
I laugh, but it’s a cold, loud sound. That absolute bellend.
“That’s incredible. Did you believe him?”
“Not for a second,” she says, emphasising each word.
“Good, thank you.” I smile at her. “So what else is happening that I’ve missed?”
“Mark is being weird.”
“He’s what?”
“You haven’t noticed?”
I shake my head. “Well, I saw him a couple of times, but Horace said he’s up in his other office for privacy.”
“Okay,” Kaia says, shrugging again. “I’ve seen him here all day, walking around. He’s different.”
Her words make my stomach do a flop, and I curse myself for it.
If only Robin would text me back. Why does Mark have to be so fucking beautiful? I can’t stop thinking about Saturday.
I must.
If only they could be the same person.
No, I can’t have that. I work here.
But it hits me how many similarities there are. The cologne. The shape. The intense eyes. It can’t be, can it? I struggle to catch a breath at the thought and push it away.
“I made a character from your dog sketches, by the way,” Kaia says.
“Really?” I’m so grateful for this distraction. I was going down a dangerous train of thought.
