Page 68 of Poetry of Flowers

“Our goal is Chicago to celebrate her birthday,” Theo told the stranger, just to receive a slap on the back of his head from my cousin.

“You idiot, just tell everyone where four perfect targets for a serial killer go,” she hissed, side-eyeing Devon, who had moved too close for my liking.

He just laughed and shook his head.

“Don’t worry, cherry, If I were a serial killer, I wouldn’t let everyone in this diner know who I am and that I’m talking to you. I would be a dumb idiot if I did that.” He leaned back and laid his arm behind me on the top of the bench we were sitting on, making me even more uncomfortable.

“Her name is Autumn, not Cherry.” And with that, my cousin let her head fall on the table dramatically. Having to hold back a laugh, I watch Theo petting her shoulder, not knowing what to do in this situation.

“What did I do wrong now?”

She sat up and sighed.

“Nothing, you continued to tell a stranger personal stuff,” Autumn answered while they stared at each other.

“Well, I didn’t say your full name, there are thousands of Autumns on this world and several of them are redheads because the color orange reminds most people of fall.”

“I’m named after our great grandma,” my cousin said, picking at the last pieces of bread that were left on the table.

We never met our great grandma, she lived in France and died ten years before Autumn was born.

“Autumn doesn’t sound like a French name.”

“It was her middle name too, her first name was Chloé. It’s kind of traditional, Mom’s middle name is Autumn too, and she wanted at least that name to live on when she had to let go of the surname Avril.”

“I know that Thatcher, remember?”

“Yep, photographic memory. Maybe our talks bore you Theodore because you already know everything about me,” Autumn smiled, challenging him.

“Don’t worry, I very much enjoy our talks.” Theo offered her a small smile, rare and adorable. He looked a bit like a golden retriever. The soft features but strong jawline and cheekbones. His nose and mouth made him look so gentle. He got those kinds of blue eyes that always looked warm, even when he was angry or frustrated.

“Do you want to take back that you called me an annoying dog the other day?” Autumn asked and placed her head on Theo’s shoulder. Then she must have noticed Theo making fists and she backed off. You could see it in his eyes that he didn’t want to push her away, even through it must be a bad day for him today. One of those days he would have preferred to be in his own little bubble.

“I wholeheartedly apologize for that, Autumn, I’m trying to be nicer this time, I mean it.”

Oh, one of those moments. They always apologized and were nice to each other for at least a day before the tension started again. There was definitely something between them.

“You two remind me of me and my wife. Fighting over the smallest things but then the apology sex the night after makes it even better” Devon grinned at my friends.

“It’s weird to be compared to a married couple that should probably visit a therapist to keep their marriage going,” Theo mumbled.

First, I thought the scary looking guy next to me would get angry, but no, he just chuckled.

“You’re funny, boy.”

“I wasn’t telling a joke.”

“He knows,” I answered Theo, before I turned to the window to see if Kayden was coming back. Calling his bank shouldn’t have taken that long.

“How old are you going to be?”

“Mmh?” I turned my head around to face Devon. “I don’t know if I should answer that question.”

“Come on, I’m only asking to know if you kids are in trouble and running away or if you are still on break to start college.”

Why was he so invested in us?

“Are you a cop?” Devon threw his head back and laughed out loud.

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