Page 101 of Wallflower in Bloom

Violet’s wide eyes were molten as he walked to her, ripped the scarf away, and took her mouth, needing to hold her. Needing to feel like nothing bad would ever happen to her. She wrapped her arms around him, and he pressed her head to his chest. His heart thudded as if he’d run ten miles.

God, he didn’t want to lose her. Didn’t want any of this to end. How could he protect her from across the country? All-consuming thoughts raced in his head of how to keep her without staying in Fairwick Falls. How to keep his precious girl safe and happy. He’d do whatever it took.

And then the realization he’d been avoiding for the past weeks hit him like seven Mack trucks all at once.

Bloody fucking hell. I’m in love with her.

Chapter

Twenty-One

VIOLET

Violet stepped out of the steamy hotel bathroom and started doing mental math on how long everything would take to get ready. She’d taken an extra-long shower to mentally prepare for the most nerve-wracking day of her life: the Hearts and Roses Film Festival.

“Going down to the gym for a while,” Jack said, putting in an earbud. “But I’m having a package delivered here in a few minutes. Would you mind grabbing it from the door?”

“Sure.” She bit her lip through her nervous grin. She couldn’t let him know how scary this all was. She’d even been the one to beg him to make the appearance, so she couldn’t let him down now.

“Hey.” His hand slid under her robe along her stomach, and he placed a kiss on her neck. “I can stay and help you work off some anxiety.”

Welp. Guess he can see right through me anyway.

“Go,” she giggled. “I need to get ready.” It would take her hours to shellack on her makeup and wrestle with the straightener. She wanted to make him so proud after everything he’d done for her.

He gave her a quick kiss and walked out the door.

Violet splayed out on the bed, contemplating her life choices as her brain ping-ponged from terrified to thrilled. How did she go from a wallflower in Fairwick Falls to walking the red carpet at a film festival? Five weeks ago, this would have been her worst nightmare. She’d have just fainted dead away at the suggestion of going.

Thinking about seeing her favorite stars made butterflies tumble through her stomach with excitement.

But what if a fan said something? Or someone posted something online about her? The internet might rear its ugly comment head.

She started talking herself out of the whole thing when a knock sounded at the door. She rolled out of bed to get Jack’s package, opened the door, and came face-to-face with Shay and Aaron.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!” Violet jumped up and down, her brain short-circuiting. “You’re here!”

They both burst out laughing. “We’re here!”

She wrapped her arms around Aaron and squeezed tight.

“Girl, I just saw you two days ago.” He chuckled even as he squeezed her back.

“I know, but you’re here, and it’s scary.” She caught Shay in a vise-like hug.

“We wanted to make sure you got everything you needed, including confidence,” Shay said, winking and sauntering into the hotel suite. “How did the dresses work out?”

“I’m trying to choose between a couple. They feel amazing; it’s like they were made for me.”

“I had them pre-tailored based on your measurements,” Shay said with a nonchalant shrug but looked pretty proud of herself. “A makeup artist is en route.”

“I was just getting ready to start straightening my hair.”

“No,” Aaron said slowly, taking her in, glancing from the dresses back to her. “Rock your natural curls.”

“We should go extra volume,” Shay said. “Blow dry it upside down, put in extra volumizer, really play it up.”

Violet looked at her hair in the mirror. She currently looked like a drowned rat, with her sopping wet hair hanging on her shoulders.

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