Page 85 of Wild Flower

Breathe—

“Archer?” There’s a knock at the door. “Are you okay in there?”

She wants forever and I can’t give it to her.

She wants to move in and I’m afraid of tomorrow.

“I’ll be out in a sec,” I manage, hoping the panic in my voice isn’t obvious.

“Okay,” she says quietly, her footsteps padding away.

This was supposed to be fun and easy, but now people are moving out of their houses and refinancing and asking for bank loans, and making declarations that are serious.

Because life moves forward without you, you fucker, and you can jump off a cliff and bail, or you can stick around.

But what I want doesn’t matter.

What I want—cancer doesn’t give a shit about.

50

BECCA

“Oh my gosh, it’s huge!”

Miranda and I stand in one of the busiest intersections in Honolulu staring at the new billboard Flambé has put up. I was right when I said Arie would use the image of Archer, Finn, and I, because that’s the one towering larger-than-life on the side of a building.

A car drives by and honks loudly, followed by someone else cat calling the billboard. It’s provocative. The flaming cocktail draws you in, but it’s the saucy implied threesome that keeps you gawking. The flowers that frame us are on point and, true to Arie’s word, she’s promoted Birds of Paradise as well as Flambé. The question is: Will this bring me a ton of new business or do the opposite?

When I agreed, I didn’t think about how this might affect my business. What if my business tanks right while I’m considering moving the farm? What if the loan officer sees this and decides I’m not the right kind of business to give a loan? My brain starts buzzing with questions overload.

“You realize,” Miranda says, giving me a smirk, “if you hadn’t told me about Archer and Finn, you’d have a lot of explaining to do.” She points to the billboard. She has a point. It’s obvious it’s me in the ad. The silver hair and botanical tattoos are a dead giveaway. And it’s Finn I’m kissing in the photo.

“Yes, that would be questionable,” I agree. “Especially if you thought Archer was my only boyfriend.” I sneak a glance at her, trying to gauge if she’s still pissed at me about this. We’ve talked several times about it (with me sharing waaaay too many details about my private life) and things between us have seemed okay. “Are you still—?”

“Jealous as hell?” Miranda quips with her signature sass. “You’re pretty much advertising that our exotic flower shop is a gateway to reverse harem glory. And if it is, please sign me up! I’d like a gorgeous Flambé waiter, thank you—preferably one that’s not related to me.”

“That one’s taken,” I laugh.

“Obviously.” Miranda motions to the advertisement again. “You two are literally the poster children for tongue wrestling.”

“Need I remind you, this all started with you deep diving in Kyle’s esophagus at Flambé,” I sass back. “I was the third wheel watching you in 3D.”

“Please, complain some more,” she teases. “That night turned outso badlyfor you, after all.”

I laugh and pull out my phone, lifting it up to take a photo of the billboard, then texting it to Archer and Finn. Our love is on display for everyone. Sure, it’s just a promo ad, but it also solidifies what I know in my heart. Our love is big, and wild, and larger than life; and it’s time I stop hiding it.

51

BECCA

“Where in the world have you been?!”

My mother bursts into the greenhouse I have on her property like an angry demon released from Hell. My shoulders jerk at her whirlwind entrance, making me drop the control box for the timed watering system I was adjusting.

“Jeez, Mom!” I hiss, picking up the control and resetting it. “No pleasant greetings or offerings of tea?”

She glares at me with her arms crossed ready to burst into flames. I’ve seen this stance a thousand times when she’s gearing up for a lecture and a grounding. Only, I’m not sixteen. Of course, Ihaveavoided coming home like a child afraid of a reprimand. I’ve been staying at Finn and Archer’s places and sneaking over here for clean clothes and to check on the farm before daylight. Exotic plants need constant maintenance, and I’ve been neglecting them with this game.

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