Page 100 of Poetry of Flowers

“I thought he just asked you for money?”

“I don’t know how he managed it, but he did. I’m sure he picked up the courage to ask Dad for money again,” he muttered under his breath just as Autumn and Theo got back in the car.

“It cost me two dollars to pee. Why do we have to pay for a basic human need? It’s not like I’m hot for a UTI, America,” my cousin grumbled as she fastened her seat belt.

“That’s probably to pay the cleaners’ salaries, Thatcher,” Theo told her.

“Oh, shut up.”

Kayden chuckled next to me and started the car.

“I would like a pair of gloves too, just for those extremely icy days.” For a second, he looked over at me and laughed.

“Noted.”

ChapterThirty-Two

KAYDEN

The rest of the drive went by faster than I had thought, maybe because I was excited finally to get some alone time with my girl.

Sadly, nothing much happened.

Autumn checked us into in some oddly decorated hotel with an eighties theme. There were old movie posters everywhere, and it was painted a whole bunch of colors that would cause any decent interior designer to suffer a cardiac arrest.

We bought some food on the way because we were all tired and the only thing, we wanted to do was to get a bit of sleep before the big day.

The next day was Tillie’s birthday, and the day I would change a man’s life by letting me know about my existence. What a complex combination.

For the first time in my life, I felt the need to thank Autumn for something.

She had the brilliant idea to let Tillie and me share a room, while she would share one with Theo. Tillie had assured her that she didn’t have to do this because Autumn and Theo had been fighting again right before we arrived. Her cousin had told her to shut her mouth and make out with me tonight before she took her keys and dragged Theo with her to their room.

When I had unlocked the door, there was only one king-sized bed. Tillie hadn’t noticed how I smiled to myself. This was exactly what I had wanted. I just needed an excuse to hold her the entire night, even though I knew excuses weren’t needed anymore.

“At least it’s a big bed,” she sighed, threw her bag on the floor by the nightstand, and let herself fall dramatically right in the middle of the mattress between the pillows.

“Yes, you’re a sleep kicker,” I joked and gently propped up my guitar against the wall before I lay down beside her and rolled her over onto my chest, making her giggle.

Oh, what a beautiful sound this was.

“Do you remember when we went camping with my father when we were seven? We had to share a tent, and I ended up sleeping in my dad’s because you kept snoring so loudly, I thought the animals could hear you and would attack us.”

I acted shocked as if I didn’t know what she was talking about and rolled her off me. In fact, I had enjoyed having the tent to myself that night, it was a tight space because Jonas for some reason believed we were smaller than we actually were. It was more space for me.

“You left me to be eaten by animals? My feelings are truly hurt, my love.”

Tillie laughed and rolled back on my chest before her lips collided with mine to shut me up, “shh, no more talking.”

ChapterThirty-Three

KAYDEN

“Good morning, Fleur,” I whispered in her ear and placed a kiss on her temple. With her eyes still closed, the corners of her mouth lifted up, and her little dimple appeared.

“I’m seventeen,” she told herself as she finally peeled her eyes open. “I think I don’t hate my birthday anymore.”

I hugged her closer. I wasn’t afraid to let go of her because there was nothing that separated us now, but having her near felt so good.

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