Page 10 of Burning for You

I feel something rustling against my elbow. A small hand produces a bouquet of white lilies. It’s the hand of a boy, perhaps fifteen years old or so.

“Wait!” I say, but the boy is too quick for any of us to catch.

Congrats. Relish the pain while you can.

My heart doesn’t even have the energy to beat faster. I march to the nearest trash can, my hand clutching the lilies like they were takeaway garbage. But I freeze. When I receive this kind of delivery at home, I usually give the flowers away to my neighbors. The sender might not be a nice man, but this bunch of beauties doesn’t deserve to be tossed away.

I sigh hard and then, after picking off the card from the bouquet, I stop a man who’s walking by with his young daughter.

“Would you take care of these flowers?”

Even though he’s stunned, he surprisingly welcomes the gift with sympathy, perhaps thinking they’re from a boyfriend I rejected or who cheated on me. “Gee, I hope the next one will make you smile.”

“Daddy, they’re beautiful!” the girl says.

“Yes. They’re for Mommy.”

The girl flashes a smile at me. Her curly ponytail sways as she waves goodbye. She reminds me of how much I want to have children of my own, a thought that instantly calms my tense brain.

After the pair is gone, Bear snatches the card from my hand. “You should report this to the police. This is harassment!”

“We don’t have any proof.”

“Caro, how many times has Teller sent this kind of threat to you? That’s enough for the police to take it seriously. The proof is here!” He shoves the card into his pocket.

I should count myself lucky the name Anton Mendez hasn’t made a blast-from-the-past yet. “No. No police,” I say and claim back the note, sending my bestie grumbling. “Let’s do another mile and go home.”

Bear catches up with me while keeping an eye on seemingly every movement around us.

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