Page 23 of Petals and Plot Twists
Her aptly named Operation Soulmate is in full swing, which means that four nights in a row, I’ve taken a new date up to the roof to meet Sophie, waited in the stairwell while she talked to each date long enough to test her flower, then watched all four leave a few minutes later looking confused, a little dejected, and in one case, spitting mad.
I followed that guy all the way to the front sidewalk and watched as he climbed into his car and drove away. Just to be safe.
And that’s my main motivator here. Sophie is really excited about this flower. She’d be going through with the plan with or without my help. My involvement at least gives me some measure of control over her safety.
I can only hope the pattern will continue—that the flower won’t bloom before I find the right moment to tell Sophie how I feel.
I shouldn’t be such a coward. But my respect for our friendship is making me hesitant. I don’t want to say anything until I have a better idea whether she’ll reciprocate. There’s so much at stake—more, probably, in her mind. I’m already a hundred percent certain that if Sophie lets me, I’ll love her forever. I won’t ever leave. But I’m not sure she’s ready to trust that’s true—even from me.
It’s why I understood the appeal when Sophie first explained Operation Soulmate. Sophie wants love, but she doesn’t know how to trust that a man won’t eventually leave her and break her heart. According to her logic, the flower eliminates that risk and gives her a guaranteed happily ever after.
I need to see more data before giving the flower that much credit—or any credit at all—but I understand where she’s coming from. Sophie has never seen a man stay.
My phone buzzes with a text, and I quickly glance at the screen, already standing from her couch so I can walk down the hall and let in her next victim.
Sure enough, the message is from Sophie, a heads up that her date has arrived and she’s ready when I am.
So far, Sophie hasn’t mentioned to any of her dates that I’m the one who will let them in the building. The Serendipity stays locked at all times, so someone has to let them in, but I like that they aren’t expecting me. Their reaction—and how quickly they recover when they see I’mnotSophie—is usually pretty telling.
I reach the heavy front door of The Serendipity and push it open.
Only one guy stands outside, and he is nothing like what I’m expecting.
The rest of Sophie’s dates have all fit a certain type. Medium height, average build. Three of the previous four wore glasses. But this guy—he looks like he lives in a gym. He’s enormous. Almost as wide as he is tall, with biceps large enough to curl me like a dumbbell. His head is shaved, and he has a snake tattoo that wraps around his neck, then climbs up to his ear. Honestly, it’s impressive artwork, and I’ve never been one to judge based on appearances, so I push my concerns aside and clear my throat.
I glance down at Sophie’s text to see the guy’s name.
“Uh, Bear?” I ask. Because of course his name is Bear.
He turns. “Yeah?”
“Hey. I’m Peter, Sophie’s neighbor. She sent me out to let you in. She’s up on the roof in the garden, but I can walk you up there.”
He looks me up and down, and I get the impression he’s calculating exactly how many muscles he would have to use to break me in half. It must not be too many, because he shrugs, his expression indifferent as he walks toward me. “Cool,” he says, his voice so deep, I feel it as much as I hear it. We make small talk as we climb the grand staircase, then head to the back stairwell for the last flight up to the roof.
“You guys have fun tonight,” I say, then I watch through the cracked door as Bear makes his way into the garden.
When Sophie first pitched my role to me, I was concerned she’d require me to beinthe garden with her, and that’s something I’m determined to avoid. I won’t give my fate over to her flower, if only because of how much I know Sophie believes in it. If we’re on the roof together and the flower doesn’t bloom, that’s it for my chances.
But Sophie made it clear that when Willa and Archer were on the roof with her, the bloom closed up as soon as they stepped into the stairwell. Armed with that knowledge, I feel safe here.
I prop my foot against the door so it can’t fully close and lean against the wall, working on the crossword puzzle while I wait for Sophie to do her thing. But I’m barely through the first few clues when she sends me a text.
Sophie
SOS
PLEASE GET ME OUT OF THIS DATE
My heart starts pounding in my chest. Did the guy hurt her? Why can’t she just bow out like she always does?
I push the door open the slightest bit and hear Sophie let out a nervous laugh. “Let’s go, then,” she says. “That sounds great.”
I frown.Shedoes not sound great. I see the small wedge of wood Sophie sometimes uses to prop the door open, and I kick it into place before racing down the stairs and down the hall to Archer’s apartment. He’s a little taller and a little broader than I am, and I’m worried I might need back up.
I bang on his door, breathing out a sigh of relief when he answers. “Hey, you got a minute?” I ask. “Will you come stand in the hallway and look intimidating?”
“What?” Archer asks.
