Page 10 of Undone, Love Times Three

When I see the building burning in the distance, all thoughts of anything else leave my brain.

Five

Sylvie

One of my favorite songs is playing in the back room of the store. I’m pulling together some center pieces for Krissy’s wedding. Usually, I’d be singing along but my head isn’t the game.

I’ve stabbed myself with the scissors twice and I got skewered by a rose thorn. I’ve got more band aids on my fingers than I did when I first started training for this.

Why do I have to let things fester? I wish I was like those people who could move on, or compartmentalize their troubles.Not me, I just can’t stop replaying every moment of my date with Ryan.

No one knows. Maybe itistime to put the dating game on the back burner again. If my fingers are anything to go by, dating is hazardous to my health.

“Sylvie.”

Renee is standing in the archway that leads to the backroom from the storefront. She is bouncing on her toes.

“What’s up?”

“There is a guy here to see you.”

“What guy?”

“I don’t know, he just asked for you. And let me tell you, he is fine.”

My heart plummets. It was a possibility that he’d look me up. I figured a guy as hot as Ryan would chalk it up to it being ‘her loss’. He has to have women falling at his feet. Maybe he is here to yell at me? Or what if he still doesn’t realize and just came looking…

My lips twist, the indecision taking over.

“What’s wrong?” Renee steps further into the room.

“Nothing. I’ll be right there,” I paste a smile on my face.

“Okay,” she whirls around.

“Renee,” I take a couple of quick steps after her. She turns and looks at me. “Did he ask for me, or the owner.”

“You. He asked if Sylvie was here. Are you sure you’re okay?”

I press my lips together and nod, she spins and leaves. Probably to ogle Ryan.

Damn. He knows. Is he here to demand answers about why I lied to him? I could drive myself crazy trying to anticipate his reasons. The most likely one is that he’s pissed. But why come here? Surely, he can just leave me in misery and move on…

There is a mirror just to the left of the archway. I fix my hair. Make sure I don’t look like a deer in the headlights and give myself a quick pep talk. You can face this. It’s your own fault.

Good talk.

I move through the archway into the store. It’s a compact space which I’ve tried to make look bigger with strategically placed displays. There is a small counter rather than a long one taking up most of the room, and a small area where I can sit and consult with clients.

The window that takes up most of the front of the store has our name etched into the glass, with a small bouquet, that is my logo.

Ryan is standing by the glass, looking outside. His back is to me when I come into the room. My sharp inhale of breath makes him turn around.

God, he is even more gorgeous than I remember.

We stand at opposite ends of the store, staring at one another. The urge to apologize rises in my throat but I swallow it down. He came here. He can speak first.

I have to bite the inside of my cheek not to say anything. I can’t just stand here, so walk across the room until we’re close enough that I can see the pulse beating in his neck.

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