Page 48 of The Blue Rose
“It's for my mom, I hope this makes her smile. She has been going through it lately.” My brows draw together, but I focus on finishing his purchase. Without responding, he continues. “You see, my brother went missing a couple weeks ago. Mom has a bad feeling something happened to him.” He pauses to look me in the eyes. The dread I feel is unexplainable, but he takes my silence as permission to continue. “I think he’s just gone on one of his excursions, turning off his phone and escaping reality. He does this all the time, but Mom is sure something has happened because he hasn’t been gone this long before.”
“Sorry, to hear that, I’m sure you’re right, and he will be back before you know it.” I hand him his now wrapped painting, “I hope she likes it,” I respond in a half-hearted kind of way.
My smile wavers while he hesitates to take his painting. He’s trying to tell me about his life when I didn’t ask for it. All I can think about is Aster.Why hasn’t he replied? Is he really somewhere watching this interaction?The touchy mama’s boy seems nice, plus he’s cute, in a creepy way, and is relatable. Being as close to his mom as I was to mine.
“She will.” He smiles at himself, like he just made my day or something. Just as he starts to walk away, he turns around and heads back over to me.
Fuck.
I take a deep breath and prepare myself for whatever he is about to say.
“I know I’d kick myself if I didn’t ask, but do you want to grab coffee sometime?”
There is such hope in his eyes, and after all the touching and bumping he did, I’m not surprised he’s asking me out. Feeling goosebumps rise again, I look around and come up empty again. I think about Aster being somewhere lurking, watching, and my heart thunders in my chest as my core clenches around nothing.These goosebumps are not for nothing, I know he’s somewhere, and after leaving me on read. I feel a little vindictive.
I smile, batting my lashes at Mr. Touchy, reaching over to grab his arm, and I see his Adam's apple bob, and say in the sultriest voice I can muster, “I would love to have coffee with you.”
He’s shocked at my response, probably already gearing himself for rejection. “Wow, really? Based on your body language, I was sure you were going to say no. I mean, I’m glad you didn’t.” He reaches out a hand, a brilliant smile stretching his face. “I’m Bradley, thought you should know the name of the guy who just asked you out.”
Taking his hand in mine, I shake it, saying, “I’m Serena.”
Without releasing my hand, he stays holding it, scratching his thumb along my skin.“The market ends at three. Want to meet up at the coffee shop across the street then?”
I look over his shoulder, at the little coffee shop, then glance back at him. “I would love to.” The words come out as a lie, as I look around once more for my green eyed man.He is not going to be happy about this. Serves him right.
With a huge smile, he finally releases my hand “Great! I’ll see you soon.” He walks away, looking back to wave goodbye. I wave back at him, a stiff smile on my face.
I walk back into the booth, plopping down into my chair and bury my face in my hands. “What did I just agree to?”
“Yes, what did you agree to, little lamb?”
My muscles lock, my entire body frozen as the timbre of a voice I’d recognize anywhere washed over me. I look up and see angry eyes staring back at me.
Double Fuck.
He barrels around the table, bracing his arms on either side of my chair, leaning in close and breathing in my ear. “You’remine.”
His breath tickles my neck as we hang suspended in the moment, neither of us knowing what to do next. He pushes away, nearly knocking my chair over and strides through the crowd without looking back. It takes me a second to gather my thoughts before I get up racing after him.It’s not like that! Let me explain. Just as I reach him, I see a crowd of people forming at my booth. Groaning, I glance between the crowd and Aster before turning back around and losing sight of Aster completely.
I’ll text him when I get a moment. He needs to let me explain.
The rest of the day goes by in a flash. Apparently, the town was waiting on bated breath for my return to the market. I’m still not sure how I feel about that. Finishing the day, and completely forgetting about my coffee date with Bradley, I’m cleaning up when I feel a tap on my shoulder.
“Hey, I thought we could walk over to the coffee shop together.”
I turn around, already regretting my vindictive promise, especially after Aster showed up earlier. Debating on canceling, but seeing the excitement in his eyes I regrettably say, “Let me just put the rest of these paintings away, and we can go.”
Closing the trunk of my car, I turn around, and before I can walk over to him, Aster is there between us. I can’t see his face, but every muscle in his body is tight, his fists trembling at his sides as he gets in Bradley’s face. He stands towering over him by a foot, and in a threatening voice says, “She’smine.”
Before Bradley can respond, or before I have time to process what is even happening, Aster turns around, grabs me forcefully by the arm and pulls me away. I feel a tug on my other arm, Bradley grabbing me trying to stop whatever is happening. “She didn’t say she had a boyfriend.”
Stopping dead in his tracks, Aster releases my arm, and stalks over to Bradley. In a blink of an eye, his hand is around his throat. Aster lifts him in the air with more ease than Ithought possible, even despite his size. The veins in his arms bulge from holding Bradley up. Shaking him for good measure, Aster brings his head to Bradley’s ear and says again “She. Is.Mine.” Venom flows through every word he spits, before he throws Bradley onto the ground. Silence falls across the market, everyone watching, but no one brave enough to take on Aster alone. Growling, Aster grabs my hand and pulls me away from a hurt and confused Bradley still sitting on the ground.
I stare up at Aster, anger rolling off of me. Not from hurting Bradley, but from the fact that he showed up after ghosting me, and is dragging me to God knows where. Pissed, but also a little turned on, I stay silent and plant my feet into the ground.
SEVENTEEN
ASTER
