Wildflower (Colors #4)

by Jessica Prince

  Chloe had shown up just seconds after we managed to save the bird from combusting and causing yet another kitchen fire. It took several seconds for her to get over her initial shock of seeing Harlow and I in the same room together, but once she took in the utter destruction around us, her focus shifted to what had once been considered edible food. Unfortunately, Harlow having cranked the oven up as high as it would go meant that the turkey dried out in a way I hadn’t known possible. Think of it as a piece of old, ragged shoe leather that had been laid in the street and run over a million times. I was willing to lay money that even my old dog, Blue, would have refused to eat this shit. And he once ate a dirty diaper he’d found in the neighbor’s trashcan. There was a reason the poor dog—God rest his soul—wasn’t around anymore.

  The food was that bad.

  And because I was trying to win back the love of my life, I couldn’t risk insulting her cooking skills, so I was forced to shove what I could down my gullet and fake a smile with every bite. I learned quickly that holding my breath, opening my throat, and letting the food slide down without chewing was the safest way to go. Followed quickly by several gulps of water to wash the taste away. From the way the dinner was sitting like a lead ball in the pit of my stomach, it was a safe bet I would be spending the remainder of my night in intense pain.

  Fingers crossed that a visit to the ER wouldn’t be necessary.

  To add insult to injury, Derrick—the bastard—had been texting pictures of all the food his current sheet-warmer had cooked up for him. It was sad, but looking at all that deliciousness kind of made me want to cry.

  “The oven’s broken,” Harlow insisted dryly as she sucked back another mouthful of wine. Apparently ruining Thanksgiving dinner was reason enough for her to hit the bottle, and hit it hard. We’d only sat down about twenty minutes before and half the bottle was already gone.

  Leaning forward, Ethan took a sniff of the green bean casserole and scrunched his nose up in distaste. “The green beans smell like moldy feet. How can you make green beans smell like moldy feet, Low-Low? I don’t get it. I mean, they’re vegetables.”

  I took another bite of turkey, my jaw aching from trying to chew through the tough meat. “Well, I think it’s all delicious,” I lied through my goddamned teeth. “You really out did yourself, wildflower. I’m so glad I got to be here.”

  Yeah, I was laying it on a little thick. The food tasted like rotten shit and I wanted to make a run for the nearest bathroom and purge my stomach of all the evilness currently rolling around inside it, but the small glimmer of a smile she gave me at my compliment was enough to make me keep going. I just had to make sure to stick with the safest items on the table.

  Chloe let out a loud cough that sounded suspiciously like kiss ass as Ethan narrowed his eyes at me across the table. I didn’t like what I was seeing playing behind his hazel gaze. I was man enough to admit I was more than a little frightened.

  “Then you eat it,” he said in a low, menacing voice as he shoved the entire dish of green beans toward me. “Go on, Coach. You love it all so much, eat the green beans.”

  Oh, that little fucker. He was going to pay.

  The corners of Ethan’s mouth curved up in a grin akin to something I would imagine Satan himself would wear. He pushed the dish even closer as I played different scenarios in my head, each one ending with him writhing in deep, agonizing pain.

  “Yeah, Noah,” Chloe chimed in. She’d just made my list, too. “Eat it. I’m sure it’s delicious,” she teased, rubbing her belly with an exaggerated “mmmmm”.

  I wanted to tell them to fuck off. I wanted to run, screaming into the night. I worried I’d be plagued with nightmares of this little Thanksgiving feast for years and years to come. Lord knew my poor intestinal tract would never be the same again.

  But when I looked over at Harlow, her eyes were shining with intrigue and something that looked an awful lot like hope.

  This was my penance for the past. It had to be. I refused to believe that God had forsaken me simply for his pure enjoyment.

  “Fine,” I told them, my voice trembling ever so slightly. “I’ll eat it. And you’ll both see just how wonderful of a cook Harlow is.”

  My hand shook as I lifted my fork, my body went clammy as beads of sweat broke out across my upper lip. So this was how I was going to die. It didn’t seem fitting. Maybe it was just wishful thinking, but I always thought I’d go down in a blaze of glory, or better yet, between Harlow’s creamy thighs. If you had told me a green bean casserole was going to be the end of me I’d have laughed in your face. I was too young, damn it. I still had so much life to live!

  The rancid smell stung my nostrils as the gelatinous goo came closer and closer to my mouth. I worried the smell alone was enough to do me in.

  “You can do this,” I told myself in a hushed voice. “You’re a man. You’re a man, damn it.” I could have sworn I heard a faint giggle coming from Harlow’s direction, but I couldn’t take my eyes off my imminent death. “Okay, I’m doing it. I’m gonna eat it. I really am.” I wasn’t sure who I was trying to convince, me, or the people about to witness one of life’s injustices. “Here I go. It’s happening…”

  Why wasn’t anyone stopping me? I mean, I knew I’d fucked up in the past and broke Harlow’s heart, but it was a mistake. A stupid mistake! I wasn’t a bad person.

  I opened my mouth, fighting against my shaking body as the green beans came closer, and I swear I felt my taste buds melting off just from the close contact. Closing my eyes, I asked God to forgive me of all of my sins.

  “Don’t do it!” Harlow screamed, leaping across the table and slapping the fork from my hand at the same time I shouted, “I don’t want to die!”

  The green bean goop went flying everywhere. The only sound in the room was of my fork clattering against the floor. The three other people at the table gaped at me as I worked to regulate my breathing and calm my frantic heart.

  “Oh, shit,” Chloe gasped as she brought her hand to her mouth. “You were really gonna do it.”

  “Coach,” Ethan spoke, his voice full of awe. “My respect for you just tripled. You’re the bravest man I know.”

  No one said anything for what felt like an eternity. Then, unexpectedly, Harlow burst into a fit of laughter so hard tears poured from her eyes. Shortly later the rest of us followed suit.

  Surprisingly enough, the rest of the evening was more enjoyable than I would have imagined. I never would have thought being around Noah again could have been so much… fun.

  But it was.

  The whole Green Bean Debacle, as it would come to be known as, had cut through the tension clouding the room. From that point on we were all able to move past any animosities and have a good time. We laughed, we joked, we ate the hell out of Chloe’s desserts since we were all starving, and we sat and watched football, Chloe and I rolling our eyes while Ethan and Noah yelled at the TV screen.

  The sun had set hours ago. Chloe had left to catch some sleep since she had to wake up early to open the bakery, and Ethan was holed up in his room blowing shit up on his X-box.

  Noah stood at my side in companionable silence as we washed and dried the dirty dishes, having already thrown away every bit of the food I’d cooked—mostly all uneaten.

  “Thanks again for letting me be here today,” he said, breaking through the quiet in the kitchen.

  I twisted my head to look at him and smiled. “You’re welcome. Thanks for being willing to risk your life just to eat my food.”

  “Any time,” he chuckled deeply. We sunk back into silence as Noah scrubbed the last of the dishes and handed them to me to dry. I placed the last dish in the drying rack on the counter and turned to face him, my breath catching in my throat as he reached up and brushed his thumb along my cheekbone.

  “Sorry,” he whispered as he focused on the path his thumb was taking, back and forth along my cheek, before he dropped his hand. “Soap suds.”

  “Oh, uh… thanks,” I mumb
led, my cheek burning hot from his touch.

  He stepped even closer as he spoke in a low, gravelly voice, his words flaying me open as my body fought my brain, wanting to move even closer. “I know the situation that brought you home is terrible, and I’m so sorry for your loss, but I’m not sorry you’re back. I could never be sorry about that.”

  “Noah…” I shook my head and looked away from his penetrating gaze. Part of me, deep down inside, craving those words while the other part revolted against them. “Please… don’t,” I pleaded quietly.

  “You’re still the most beautiful girl I’ve ever laid my eyes on,” he murmured.

  My eyes stung and my nose tingled at the reverence in his voice. I blinked back the tears, refusing to let them fall. I wouldn’t cry in front of him. I wouldn’t cry for him. I’d done that enough already. “Stop.” That one word came out stronger, and I watched as pain flittered over his face, so quickly I almost missed it.

  Wiping the sorrow away, he smiled at me. “Happy Thanksgiving, wildflower,” he offered just before leaning in to place a kiss on my cheek. “It was a wonderful day.”

  With that, he walked out of the kitchen. I stood frozen in place as the front door opened and closed, announcing Noah’s departure.

  I climbed into bed later that night, telling my brain not to think about Noah Murphy, but as I drifted off to sleep I could still feel his lips on my skin.

  “Say it.”

  “No,” I giggled, my laughter filling the air around us.

  “Come on, wildflower. Say it.”

  “First tell me why you call me wildflower,” I pressed. It was a question I’d been asking since we first started dating. He had yet to tell me, so I wasn't expecting to get an answer right then. However, Noah took me by surprise by finally admitting the reason behind the nickname. And that reason warmed me from the inside out.

  “Because until the moment I saw you, I was convinced I wouldn’t be happy living here. But I walked into that school and you were the first thing I saw. You stood out from everyone around you. You’re the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen in the most unexpected place,” he admitted, taking my breath away. “You were my wildflower.” As he talked, his expression remained earnest, letting me know just how serious he was. But once he’d finished, that seriousness melted into a heart stopping smile. “Now say it.”

  “Hmmm,” I hummed, tapping my chin in mock thought as I looked up at the sky. “I’m not sure—” Before I could finish, Noah’s strong body had me pinned to the ground. The grass pricked my skin as I tried my best to roll away from him. “Noah!” I shouted. “Stop tickling me!”

  “Say it and I will.”

  My hysterical laughter bounced through the air as I looked up into his smiling eyes and my heart melted a little bit more. That was how every day had been for the past six months. Every day with Noah was just a little better than the last. Every second with him, I fell even more in love with him. “I’m your girl,” I spoke, still somewhat breathless from laughing so hard.

  “Again.”

  My voice got quiet as my lips tilted into a smile. “I’m your girl.”

  “You know I love you, right?”

  My voice stayed a whisper as I nodded against the grass. “Yeah.”

  “And you love me too?”

  “You know I do.” I ran my hand over his short hair, loving the way it felt against my fingers. There wasn’t much of anything about Noah I didn’t love. From the first time we talked, I knew he was it for me. I didn’t care that we were young. What the future held didn’t matter. I loved him and he loved me. As long as I had him, there wasn’t anything that could bring me down.

  I heard the squeak of the screen door before Grammy’s voice called out into the back yard.

  “Noah, sweetie. Your mom just called. It’s getting dark and she wants you to head home.”

  My stomach sank at the same time Noah released a frustrated breath. “Thanks, Ms. Lucille. We’ll be in in just a sec.”

  “Okay, honey.”

  The screen door closed and I started to push up, making him roll off as I sat, my gaze trained on the tree line that enclosed the very back of my grandmother’s yard.

  “You better go,” I told him, trying to keep my voice light as I offered him a small smile that didn’t meet my eyes.

  I felt the gentle pressure of Noah’s fingers under my chin. “Hey,” he coaxed gently. “It’s not always gonna be like this, wildflower. I promise. Before you know it, we’ll be eighteen and no one will have any business telling us what we can or can’t do.”

  “I’m just worried your parents are never going to like me.”

  “Baby, they like you.”

  I let out a snort and rolled my eyes, pulling my chin away. “Please, Noah. I’m not an idiot.”

  “Harlow, look at me.” When I met his gaze, he continued. “You know how they are. It’s not that they don’t like you. They just wish you were a part of their church, and they’re worried we’re moving too fast.”

  I chest squeezed tight with worry. “Do you?”

  “Do I what?”

  “Do you…” A lump formed in my throat, making it hard to choke out the words. “Do you think we’re… moving too fast? Do you want to slow down?”

  He blinked in surprise. “What? No, of course not.”

  My entire body slumped in relief.

  Noah’s tone was strong and sure as he cupped my cheeks in his hands and turned me fully to him. “I’m gonna marry you one day, wildflower. I’m gonna buy you your dream house and we’re gonna fill it with our own family. It’s me and you, baby. Now and always.”

  “Me and you,” I repeated, his declaration making me feel lighter than air. “I love you.”

  “I love you too, wildflower.”

  The shrill ring of my cellphone combined with the bright sun leaking through the think lace curtains pulled me from my dream. In a sleepy haze, I reached for my phone on the nightstand, fumbling around until my fingers finally hit it.

  Sliding my finger over the screen, I held it to my ear without opening my eyes. “Lo,” I mumbled, my face half buried in the pillow.

  “I’m on FaceTime, you loser! Get the phone off your ear!”

  The sound of Navie’s squawking voice rang in my ears causing the last of that warm grogginess I loved to hold onto in the mornings to dissipate instantly.

  I pulled the phone away and caught an eyeful of her bright, smiling face, “Jeez, crazy. Lower your voice, would ya? It’s only…” I turned my eyes to the numbers on the alarm clock to see it was a quarter past seven. “Damn it, Navie! It’s not even eight yet. You better have a damn good reason for waking me up at the butt crack of dawn.”

  “I’M GETTING MARRIED!”

  Well that certainly put a damper on my early morning grump. “He asked?!” I squealed excitedly as she held up her left hand, the sparkly sapphire gleaming proudly her ring finger. “He asked!”

  “He did!” she confirmed happily. “And you! You dirty birdy. You helped him pick it out.”

  Scooting up in the bed, I rested my back against the headboard and grinned at the screen. “First of all, Kathy Bates, unless you’re planning on tying Rowan to the bed and hobbling him, no more Misery references, it’s just creepy. Secondly, after that disastrous day of ring hunting, if the need to hobble a certain New York Times bestselling author were to come upon you, just an FYI, I’ll alibi you.”

  I heard Rowan’s voice in the background as he talked over Navie’s laughter. “I’m vetoing Harlow as your best friend.”

  Navie’s head shot sideways as she glared at Rowan off screen. “You can’t do that!”

  “Yes I can. Engaged and married people have the right to veto their significant other’s friends if they feel they’re a negative influence on the relationship. It’s in the Bible.”

  “That’s just stupid,” I scoffed. “You can’t veto me, I’m unveto-able.”

  “You veto Harlow, I’m vetoing Griffin and Dex,” Nav
ie shot back.

  “You can’t veto two friends!” Rowan objected. “And Griff is family, you can’t veto family. There’s a clause that protects all blood relatives.”

  “Griff and Dex go hand in hand,” Navie argued. “Therefore, they’re technically one friend. And since you have no familial ties to Dex, him not being a blood relative automatically cancels out Griffin’s blood ties. Hence, they’re both being vetoed!”

  “But… that’s not fair!”

  Giggling at their hysterical banter the two of them were known for, I spoke up. “He’s put a ring on it and still hasn’t learned that the one with the va-jay-jay holds all the power?”

  “Silly boys,” she smiled with a roll of her eyes before turning back to me. “They never learn.”

  “Congratulations, Rowan,” I called out loudly.

  Rowan’s head popped up on the screen just behind Navie’s shoulder, the smile spread across his lips shining rightly. “Thanks, Har.”

  “Welcome…” and because our friendship thrived on giving each other endless amounts of shit, I tagged on for good measure, “You’re gonna make a wonderful bitch. I’m so proud of you,” I ended on a choking sob as I wiped away fake tears.

  Rowan’s head dropped to Navie’s shoulder as he let out a groan, barely audible over our laughter. Lifting his icy blue gaze back to the screen, he shot me a playful glare before turning to plant a kiss on his new fiancé’s cheek. “On that note, I’m heading to the gym. I’ll let you two talk about whatever girly shit’s holding your interest this week.”

  “Bye, Rowan,” I said as the two of them exchanged I love you’s. My stomach clenched at the loving sight before me. I pushed back the unexpected pang of sadness that suddenly hit me, hoping my face didn’t betray me as I caught Navie’s denim-colored gaze and pasted on a happy smile.

  “I’m so happy for you, babe.” And it was true. If there was one person I knew in my life that deserved the utmost happiness, it was Navie. So the loneliness gnawing at me from the inside was an unwelcome feeling.

  “Thanks, honey. How are you? How was your Thanksgiving?”