Page 44 of Petals and Plot Twists
So that’s it, then. She’s met her soulmate. That’s all it took.
Of course, I knew it was a possibility, but I didn’t think it would happen before I took my shot, told Sophie how I feel.
I finally make my way down the stairs, twitchy and agitated, and push through the fourth-floor access door. Without really thinking about what I’m doing, I charge down the hallway to Archer’s penthouse apartment. It’s not a true penthouse because it doesn’t take up the entire fourth floor. But it does fill the entire front of the building, which means you could fit my place inside his place many times over.
I knock on the door, trusting that this late in the day, Willa will probably be there.
Luckily, it’s Willa who opens the door.
“Hey, Peter,” she says. “What’s up?”
I push into the apartment without waiting for an invitation.
“Sure. Come on in,” she says dryly.
I spin around in Archer’s entryway. “Sorry. I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay. What’s going on?”
“Sophie is out on a date.”
“Oh, right. Jake? The pediatrician?”
I nod, hands propped on my hips. Jaw clenched.
“Is everything okay? He seemed nice. At least from all the DMs she let me read.”
“He was very nice. That’s the problem.”
She frowns. “I still don’t understand.”
“They went to dinner,” I say more pointedly. “She was only supposed to go to dinner if the flower bloomed, Willa. And they went.”
Her eyes widen. “Oh. Oh! Oh, my gosh. That’s great news.”
I shake my head, letting out a disheartened laugh.
“Or it’s…not great news?” Willa asks. “Peter, what are you not saying right now? Why is this a bad thing?”
I have no idea why I’m here. What I’m even supposed to say. I knew this was a possibility. I can’t be upset about it now. But I just thought I had more time to figure out what to say and how to say it.
When I finally look up to meet Willa’s eye, her expression is full of compassion and understanding.
“You’re in love with her,” she says gently.
When I don’t object, she lets out a sigh to match mine.
“Oh, Peter.”
Before I can respond, Archer appears in the entryway and wordlessly hands me a heavy crystal glass, then turns and heads into the living room.
“That was an invitation to stay,” Willa whispers.
I lift the glass to my nose. “Bourbon?”
She nods. “Worth more than your rent, probably.” She gestures for me to follow her into the living room. “Come on. Sit. Drink. Tell me everything.”
Chapter Fifteen
