Page 81 of No Rings Attached
“Before I go, though, I really need you to reach out to the florist to set up my bouquet, smaller ones for the bridesmaids, and flowers for the venue.” She tapped away on her phone. “Here’s the list of bridesmaids, plus you, and pictures of the flowers I want. Okay, bye-ee.” She blew us a kiss and left.
“Well that could’ve gone worse, I suppose.” Ellie rolled her eyes and sighed. She reached for the bill.
“I’ve got it.” I snatched it out of her hand.
“No, Drew. You didn’t even eat anything.” She gave me the ‘gimme’ motion with her hand.
“I think I can afford it. Do they always leave you with the bill like that?”
Her responding shrug and sad smile was all the response I needed.
“I’ll run up and pay. Nora’s busy and we might as well get to work on your ‘to-do’ list.”
“I don’t know what I did to deserve you, but thank you.”
I couldn’t help myself. I leaned in and kissed her forehead before I stood. “No thanks needed.”
I headed toward the counter. Matt leaned on it, arms crossed.
“Thanks for texting me,” I told him.
He shrugged. “Shit, man. I know I can be an ass, but even I couldn’t watch her sit there alone with them. She looked like she was drowning.”
“You’re not wrong.” I followed his gaze back to Ellie. She was jotting notes on the paper Celia had listed her responsibilities on.
She deserved better than being treated like their personal assistant.
My chest tightened.
When I returned to my seat, Ellie was staring at her phone like it had grown teeth. Her mouth fell open, then snapped shut.
Then came the slow blink. Once. Twice. A third time.
“What’s wrong?” I pressed a hand to her shoulder.
Nothing. She didn’t answer.
“Ellie.” I tapped her arm.
She jumped, her eyes wide and wounded. That look gutted me.
“What’s happened?” My voice came out rougher than I’d intended.
She shoved her phone at me. Pictures of flower arrangements filled the screen. I frowned. “Flowers?”
Her voice cracked. “They’re mine.”
I didn’t get it. “Yours?”
“The ones I’ve always wanted. For my own wedding. She has them. Celia has them.”
Fuck.My jaw locked. I pulled her to my chest, holding her like I could shield her from it all.
“Son of a bitch,” I muttered, into her hair. “She stole your ideas?”
Ellie shook her head against me. “I never told her. There’s no way she could know. Maybe her followers picked them. Maybe it’s a coincidence.”
Her voice was small. Too damn small.
