Page 94 of Never Too Late

And I know he would, too.

“And you're certain?”

“Yeah, I think so, D. I love her. And the boys too.” His face lights up with pride. I’ve seen him around Theo and Frankie, and you would have to be an idiot not to notice how much he cares for them both.

“Does she know?”

“That I love her?” He lets out a low sigh. “Nope.” He pops the ‘p’ at the end. “I just gotta hope when I do tell her, she loves me back. I guess.”

I press my feet to the floor, pushing them forward one by one, dragging my chair towards him. Putting an arm around his shoulder, I bring him in for a hug. He knows this is one of the only times I’ll accept or be close enough for a hug. When one of us is sad, feeling overwhelmed, or frustrated. I’m not so good with speech, thankfully he’s aware of this. “Love you, brother,” I whisper into his shoulder. He doesn’t reply, but squeezes me harder.

The bells chime as the front door of the shop opens, Novah comes into view with the bouquet of flowers, they’re so beautiful, something in me warms at the idea of giving them to Jae.

“Dax, these are beautiful. Are they for Jae? I saw his mouth watering over them in the store. I had to tell them they were for my sister, he looked so sad about it. I know he’s going to love them.” She puts the flowers on the table towards the back of the room, out of view from the window just in case he so happened to walk past and comes into the shop. “Oh, hey, Tyler. I didn’t see you there.” He abruptly sits up, pulling himself away from me, coughing.

“Is everything okay?” she asks with a concerned look on her face.

“Yeah, fine.” He coughs again, attempting to clear his throat. “Wow, D. Those are some impressive flowers, if they don’t get you laid, I don’t know what else would.”

“Tyler!” Novah scolds. He doesn’t reply, he just shrugs his shoulders and mouths the word sorry.

Interesting.

I stare at the flowers with awe, they’re exactly how I imagined them to be. I’ve spoken to Bernie a handful of times, mostly in Cee’s. He has a similar understanding of flowers as I do. When I ordered the bouquet yesterday while I was ‘going to grab some coffee’ I didn’t explain much about what I wanted because he knew straight away. From what I had seen inside the store, I knew he could create works of art – but I never expected this.

From the corner of my eye, I notice Ty’s face starts to soften. I haven’t seen him look at someone the way I’ve caught him looking at Novah a handful of times. It confused me at first because this is a side to Tyler I’ve never seen before, and up until now didn’t know existed. But the more I see how they’re staring at each other and having silent conversations only they can understand, the more I want this for him.

I just hope she feels the same way, because no one is more deserving of love than him.

“They’re perfect, Dax. He’s going to love them.” I hear Tyler’s voice to the side of me, “Roses, tulips and orchids, deep love, new beginnings, and beauty, right?”

“You’re getting good.”

“I’ve learnt from the best.” He walks towards them, making sure not to touch, but inhaling the floral scent coming from them. “What are you going to do with them?”

“Show Jae exactly what he means to me.” I beam. “If you’re all covered here, am I able to go home, I’ll leave you two to it. I know you’re in safe hands.”

“Yeah. If you need anything, call me, yeah?” he asks as he prods my shoulder with his finger.

I smile back at him with a nod. With me coming to work today with Jae in his car, I need to make my own way back to the house. I didn’t want to ask Ty, so I decide to get the bus back. With only three minutes left until one is due, I pull my phone out of my jean pocket and send Jae a text.

Dax: I’ve gone back to the house, don’t worry, I’m fine. Don’t feel the need to rush, but please come home as soon as you’re finished. I owe you a date.

Home.

Chapter fifty-one

Dax

“I’m coming home, pretty boy. I’m coming back to you.”

Behind Jae’s house lies an open field guarded by similar green trees to the ones out front – tall oak trees with different shades of green coming from the branches. I’ve spent the last week sneaking out to ensure I’d be able to wrap lights around them the way I wanted, the exact image in my head. Ty has been in on the plan too; he came to wrap them around the trees yesterday while me and Jae were in the shop. He, at first, smirked at the idea but as always, he didn’t question it. When we both saw it come to life, I didn’t need to explain for him to understand. He saw the beauty for himself.

“Wow, they’re going to look amazing when the lights are turned on. I think he’s going to love it, Dax. I’ve never seen a side to you like this before. He brings out a side to you I didn’t know existed and for that, I’ll forever be grateful,” Tyler says as he puts a hand on my shoulder.

“I just wish I could do something more – he deserves so much. This isn’t enough.”

He smiles at me in a way I’ve never noticed him do before. It’s a lazy smile, and his face softens. It’s a smile I’d seen from Mum many times, and seeing him do it reminds me just how much he looks like her.

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