Page 32 of Bloom and Burn
Greg. Ah yes, I’d already forgotten we bumped at each other. But can you blame me? Reconnecting with my former ‘friend’ who used to bully half the school for no reason is not exactly high on my list. Or there at all.
I glance at Ryan, who’s narrowed his eyes like he’s ready to shoot lasers at Greg from them. It’s kind of funny, but also not, and if I had to guess—like me, my lovely florist isn’t a fan of the man either.
12
Ryan
Oh,fuck,whatisthat asshole doing here ruining my amazing time with Jack? Ugh.
“Hi man! I was wondering when I’d run into you again. What’s up? Enjoying the nice day?” Greg says, approaching us with a huge grin plastered on his face as if we are best friends who haven’t seen each other in months.
I growl on the inside, wanting to punch his mug, but only allow myself a glare on the outside. He was the worst back in school, and he never even apologized. Last I heard, he hasn’t changed much either, but it’s not like I go out of my way to keep up with people whose faces I’ve dreamed about punching more than once.
Jack pulls me closer to him as if he can sense I’m about to claw the dude’s eyes out. Yeah, I hold grudges, but so what? Greg should’ve had the decency to own up to what he did and say sorry, but nah, that’s not what bullies do.
“Yeah. I thought I’d check out the trails…” Jack smiles, but it’s so forced and fake, it makes me feel even more awkward.
Not that Greg notices. Or cares, even if he does. His eyes roam me, squinted and hard. I hold my breath, wondering if he will recognize me. Oh shit, what if he does and calls me out? I haven’t told Jack yet, and even if I omittedthat part because I decided to move on from it since this ex-bully hot genius doctor has evidently turned a new page in his life, it would suck if he found out about it from someone else. Plus… what if he gets angry and decides to break up with me before we’re even official?
Fortunately, Greg’s beady eyes move on from me and return to Jack without an ounce of recognition. Well, fuck me. I’m both glad and annoyed.
“Hey, what do you say you two join us for bowling in Portland? We were just on the way there. Ben will be stopping by as well. He’s been asking about you since I mentioned I ran into you in town.”
Oh, so that happened. I throw Jack a sideways glance. He doesn’t look the least bit excited at the prospect of hanging out with the bullies. Nice.
Jack rubs his neck, mirroring Greg’s smile. In his case though, it looks forced. “Sorry, man, I’ve already got plans. Maybe some other time.”
A leering expression slides across Greg’s face as his eyes flit to me once more. I bat my eyelashes at him and smile sweetly, channeling all my willpower so I don’t spring up at him and jab his annoying face.
“I see, I see. No worries.” He laughs, wiggling his eyebrows at Jack. His two goons do the same. “But well, when you got the time, stop by? Ben and I work at the car dealership when you enter town. We’d love to catch up and reconnect.”
Yeah, no. I doubt that’s gonna happen and not just because of the dejected expression Jack barely manages to restrain. I just don’t see him wanting anything to do with bullies after setting himself on the right path.
“Will do, but, ah, can’t promise it will be soon. Work’s been crazy, you know. All those deals going on… I barely get time to eat or sleep.”
He’s so full of shit, in the best way. He’s been dropping by the Orchid for lunch every day, checking in on me and Emily. Sometimes he also picks her up, and other times she drives home so the two of us can ‘catch up’, which is a bullshit euphemism for both of us having ulterior motives toward each other.
Not that I’m against that. I approve one hundred percent.
Finally, Greg leaves after insisting Jack call him if he has a free evening so he can get the boys together for some beers.
“Gee, he sounded like a fanboy.”
My genius billionaires laughs, and unlike the fake ones he’s been throwing at Greg, this one is real and oh-so-lovely. “He did, didn’t he? I guarantee you he’s only after my money, though. I bet twenty bucks, he’s already looked up my net worth.”
I gasp. “Shit. I forgot to do that.”
He takes out his phone, opens an app and types something. Then he hands it to me. On the screen is a number with so many zeros I lose count after the seventh. “It should be about this much? Does that work for you?”
The deadpan way in which he asks has me cackling like a witch about to curse his fourth ex-husband. I just love how goofy he is, how open and down-to-earth and fun. He isn’t at all what I imagine when I think of a billionaire, and I am so here for it.
I mumble nothings and count on my fingers. “Maybe. But just barely.”
“Ouch. Getting greedy, are we?”
I gasp, nudging him in the arm. “Who, me? Never.”
We jokingly wrestle it out on the bench, but the thing is so small we end up on the ground. Our laughter is loud in the quaint forest, echoing off around us and warming my heart. We roll in the sunlit grass until a patch that’s in shadow, where Jack ends up on top of me. His cheeks are flushed and he’s panting, looking gorgeous in the quickly settling gloom.
