Page 25 of Say I'm Yours, Firecracker

My tears mingled with the water pouring out of the metal shower head. I didn’t want to go back down that road, where the smell of smoke burned my nostrils and screaming rendered my mind useless.

I shook my head clear of those awful memories, and quickly showered. After I toweled off I searched for something to wear that didn’t make me look like a hobo.

Throwing on a pair of leggings and a dress, I rifle through my shoes to find the most comfortable, yet stylish, ones I can find.

On my way out of the apartment I grabbed a banana and water. Breakfast of champions my friends.

Bellamy and I were meeting our clients at Thorns and Petals, the florist we used for all of our events. Misty was one of the loudest, most eccentric people we worked with, but she knew her flowers. What worked well together, what didn’t. It’s usually where Bellamy and I liked to start once we had our themes and colors worked out.

Since our clients hadn’t been able to settle on anything we’d sent over, Bell and I decided to bring them into the flower shop for inspiration.

After the short walk to Thorns and Petals, I spotted Bell inside with Misty, already picking out flowers she thought would satisfy Stacey and Garrett.

Bell looked up and spotted me immediately though the window paned door. Her face broke out into a grin, but slowly morphed into a troubling scowl. Behind me I heard men’s voices, but once they rounded the brick corner they stopped. Dark chocolate eyes fixed on mine and green ones darted around, looking anywhere but at me.

“Why are you here?” I blurted.

Our new couple wasn’t famous, they didn’t need protection. There was zero reason for Finn and Aaron to be here.

Aaron wiped his hand across the back of his neck, a clear sign of his discomfort. “I’m gonna,” he pointed inside where I turned to find my best friend, arms crossed, scowling even deeper than she was a few minutes ago.

Aaron gave me a small smile as he went by, walking into the flower shop, and left Finn and I alone.

“Finally.” Finn said by way of greeting. “I thought we’d never get another chance to talk.”

I rolled my eyes, because the time for talking was when I called him four weeks ago, scared out of my mind that I was going to lose our baby.

He sighed, “Come on, Ronnie. Please don’t shut me out forever.”

I scoffed, “Try me.”

His eyes lit up, I knew he had a sexual little quip queued up in that playboy brain of his and I didn’t want to hear it. I raised my hand to stop him as he opened his mouth. “No sir, I do not want to hear it.”

He smiled, and it lit his eyes up even more. It should have been a sin for him to look as good as he did. Standing there with his green Henley that covered his tattooed arms, stretched over corded muscles. The way his beard was perfectly trimmed and his hair was messily wavy in his signature half up half down bun.

It wasn’t fucking fair!

“Can we please talk, somewhere without someone trying to light my ass on fire with their eyes?” Finn said, his deep voice almost pleading.

I turned my head over my shoulder to see Bell staring daggers at Finn. Reminding me that yes, he fucked up, but maybe…just maybe I could give him one more chance. I could hear him out. It would be nice to have unanswered questions answered so my brain would settle at night.

“Lunch,” I offered.

“Whatever you want.”

“Billy’s, and you better show up. Not a minute later than noon, you hear me?” I tried to sound threatening, but it came off a little breathy because he was so stupid gorgeous. Hands in his pockets, rolling back on his heels and nodding like a kid who’s been told to be good in order to get candy.

“And you better buy me a damn milkshake!” I shouted as we parted ways and Finn went wherever he’d been going with Aaron.

As he was walking away from me I grumbled under my breath, “don’t make me regret this too…”

I was sitting in my truck when I saw Ronnie get out of the back of an Uber. Her shoulders tense and her usual smile gone. The gravel of the parking lot crunched under my feet as I got out to join her. In a few strides I was behind her gently touching her elbow so she knew it was me.

“Why didn’t you tell me Bellamy or Aaron couldn’t drop you off?”

“Because I’m not your problem, Finn.”

Her blue eyes were full of steel, her face a mask of unreadable expression. I relented and looked away first, taking hold of the door I opened it and gestured for her to go inside. She did without any sassy remarks and immediately sat in the booth we always managed to sit in. Billy was nowhere to be seen, so he was probably in the kitchen cooking something up.

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