She walked over to picnic table and sat down on one of the benches. She gestured for him to take a seat.
He sat next to her, straddling the bench, and waited for her to speak.
“When I was eight my parents died in a car crash. My dad was drunk and ran into a tree. He killed them both instantly. We didn’t have any family to take us in, so we got put into foster care. Cora was three at the time and so she got adopted right away. Me? Not so much.”
He didn’t speak. Honestly he didn’t know what to say.
“We lost touch when I got bounced around the system, and I wasn’t able to find her. I was only ten or so at that point and no one really took me seriously. So, I’m a junior in college one day and I get a friend request on FriendBook from her.”
He watched the smile touch her lips when she thought of it.
“We got to know each other again and I got to meet her family. They’re nice enough people. They invite me to family events and all of that, but honestly I hate to go. It’s just a reminder of what I don’t have. I try not to let it bug me, but I can’t help it. I thought tonight would be okay, but…“
If what she felt was anything at all like the crushing weight of sadness he’d felt on his chest when she told him the story, then he could see why it would be difficult. He reached across the bench and picked up her hand. Moving to stand up, he said, “Come here.”
He pulled her into his arms and said, “You need a hug. Or maybe I need a hug.”
She tensed in his arms for a moment before he felt her relax her head against his chest. Her arms slid around his waist and she sighed. Taking this as acquiescence, he stroked a hand gently down her back and held on to her.
He wasn’t sure how long they stood there, but eventually she pulled away and said, “Thank you. I can’t really talk to her about it. I don’t really share this part of myself with many people. It felt good to get it out.”
“Have you considered talking to someone about it? It can’t be good to hold all that inside,” he said.
“I know,” she said softly. “When I was in school it wasn’t an option before, but it is now. I should look into it.”
When she picked up her shoes off the bench, he asked her, “Headed in?”
She nodded and said, “Thanks again. And this all looks amazing.”
“Thanks. I’m just across the hall if you need to talk,” he said.
“You’re a really sweet guy, ya know.”
“Ouch,” he said, wincing. “What every man longs to hear.”
She studied him for a moment and then said, “You’re the one that said we had to be just friends.”
Saying nothing further, she turned and walked back toward the door to the roof and disappeared inside. As the door closed, he murmured, “Touché.”
The more he got to know Taryn, the more he realized that there was no way they could sustain a friendship that didn’t involve him going insane. He waited for her to come around in the afternoons so he could share the progress he’d made at the shop. He couldn’t wait to hear about her day.
Things were already hopelessly tangled between them. He had no idea how to extricate himself from the situation. If he was being entirely honest, he didn’t have much desire to either. Running a hand through his hair, he shut the timer off and went back inside.
Chapter 5
In the two weeks since the flower shop had been open, she had slipped into an easy friendship with Evan. Typically, if he had customers, she’d just give him a wave as she went upstairs. On days when he wasn’t busy, she stopped in to chat with him. They spent a few evenings together. That usually involved a mo
vie and dinner.
The sexual tension was still there, but Taryn just ignored it for the most part. Usually that worked pretty well. Not all the time, though.
Last night they’d been sitting on her sofa half watching an action movie and eating Chinese food. There had been a moment. She’d been absolutely sure he was about to kiss her, but then he’d groaned and run his hands through his hair like he did when he was stressed out.
If she was being altogether honest with herself, she’d pretty much given up on the idea that they were going to continue being just friends. It seemed like the tension between them was ratcheting up exponentially each minute they spent together. She really didn’t know how they could continue spending any real time together without it reaching critical mass.
She didn’t want to consider the alternatives. She liked Evan. She respected him. She enjoyed his company more than almost anyone else she knew.
She peeked into the flower shop and saw he was by himself. As she walked through the door, he looked up, his brow knitted. She immediately asked, “Wow. Are you okay?”