Part 76 (1/2)
35.
FLEUR.
We don't emerge from my bedroom until late afternoon, and that was only because we ordered pizza. Anne looks up from her laptop as I walk into the room.
”Oh, you are alive then?” She quirks a brow.
”Just... um... taking a day out.”
”Right. I did wonder if Will had murdered you, I mean with all the screaming...” Anne fights down a smile and looks back at her work.
”I do not scream!” I say with horrified indignation. Do I?
”No, of course not.” The smile grows, as I'm sure the pink does on my cheeks.
Will appears at the bottom of the stairs. His green eyes are smudged with tired marks and hair mussed, but I only notice his naked chest. I never stare at semi-naked men the way some girls do but I guess I can make Will an exception to that.
”Your t-s.h.i.+rt is over there,” says Anne with a smirk, indicating his discarded clothing hung over the chair.
”Cool. Thanks.”
”Nice tatt,” she remarks as he pulls on his s.h.i.+rt. ”I never thought I'd find a half-naked Campbell in my house.”
I remain silent. It's one thing to be s.e.xually liberated, another to be s.e.xually liberated in a small house in earshot of my friend. Anne is teasing, isn't she? I grapple for a subject change.
A large bunch of flowers sits in a vase in the middle of the small dining table, pinks roses with a white spray. ”They're lovely,” I say to Anne.
She glances at Will. ”You have a romantic boyfriend.”
Will straightens. ”What?”
”Where are they from?” I ask.
”Delivered this morning. They're definitely for you.” She sighs. ”Wish somebody would buy me flowers.”
I pick up the card resting on the table next to the vase.
Thanks for the other night. It was special. When can I see you again?
My heart thumps hard against my chest as I re-read the unsigned note. Will takes the card from me and studies it, his face impa.s.sive.
”Are you sure they're not for you?” I ask Anne.
”No. Kyle was here when they were delivered and he said they weren't.”
”Maybe he's lying?”
”Somebody is,” says Will in a low voice.
I swallow. ”They're not from you?”
”No.” He tosses the card on the table.
”Oh.”
Anne's mouth parts, and she closes her laptop. ”I might go upstairs...”
As she wanders upstairs, I slump onto the chair by the table. ”I don't know who they're from, Will.”
”Really?”
”Really.”
He rests against the counter and crosses his arms. ”Ethan?”
”No, why are you paranoid about him? He cheated on me! I wouldn't lower myself to go back to him. Especially as I have a guy who treats me like you do.”
”Guys don't randomly send girls flowers!”
”Maybe somebody is trying to cause problems?”
”Who?”
”I don't know! Fans of yours?” Shaun. This is b.l.o.o.d.y Shaun. ”It happens, right?”
”Something in your eyes tells me you're lying, Fleur. Was I away too long? Somebody else step in?”
”What? No! Will, don't be ridiculous!”
The tension thickens. Surely, he doesn't believe I cheated on him; he was only away a few days. ”Tell me the truth, I can take it.”
I stand and pull at Will's arms, but he's closed off. ”Will, please. This is crazy.” I touch his face. ”Why would I want somebody else?”
”Lots of reasons.”
”No reasons! Do you really think I'd do this?”
”I don't know what to believe.” The look he gives me hardens. He's already made up his mind that I'm lying.
”I swear I have no idea who they're from!”
Will puffs air into his cheeks and scouts around the room for his boots. Without a word, he pulls them on and checks his pockets. ”I should go. I need to think about this.”
”Will. Let's talk. Don't let whoever did this screw things up!”