Page 114 of Wallflower in Bloom

“You’re hot shit now,” Lily said as she looked through the arrangements in the cooler and pulled out a wilted one. “Use all your newfound confidence to tell her to go to hell.”

Telling Jennifer to go to hell, Violet mulled over in her head. Maybe someday.

Over a week had passed since they’d returned from the premiere, and Violet and Jack hadn’t talked about the clock ticking down around them.

It was the unspoken elephant that traveled with them everywhere; to their bed as they made love, to the greenhouse, out and about, to any videos they made together.

This is fun. I like you. You’re so sweet. You’re gorgeous.

We’re over in two weeks.

In the car coming back from an evening with Rose and Gray, Violet turned it all over in her head.

“Rose asked if we wanted to grab dinner with them next week. What do you think?” She turned through the town and back to the cottage.

“I’m not sure,” Jack said offhandedly.

“You’ve got other big plans in Fairwick Falls next Friday night?” she said with a smile.

He chewed on a nail and stared out the window as she drove. Ever since Gray and Rose had discussed a vacation they’d planned for next year with Gray’s son, Alex, Jack had gone distant.

This was a new one; usually, he was gregarious, the one trying to cheer her up. She pulled up to the cottage, and they got out.

He still hadn’t answered her.

As they set their things down in the kitchen, his response finally came. “I was waiting to tell you,” he said suddenly.

A pit of dread dropped in her stomach.

“I’ve, uh,” he hemmed and hawed, chewing on that nail again. She hadn’t ever seen him this nervous.

“What’s wrong?” She wanted to make it all better. Soothe it all away and ask what was for breakfast the next morning.

“They moved my Beyond the Manor Walls shoot date up two weeks to accommodate the Christmas filming schedule.”

Her heart plummeted to the ground and broke into jagged, sharp chunks. “You’re leaving now?” she asked, not wanting to understand.

“I’ve known for a few days and didn’t know how to tell you.” He shoved his hands through his hair.

She could feel the gap between them widening as they stood in the kitchen. He was already floating away from her, from the life they could have together. Tears instantly flooded her eyes as her voice broke. “But we had two more weeks.”

He rolled his lips together and shook his head. “I need to leave tomorrow evening at the latest.”

She blinked rapidly, trying to process having everything she’d ever wanted ripped away from her.

“Violet.” He reached for her.

“It’s fine, it’s fine.” She took a step back. She had to protect herself. They’d known this was going to happen. She shook out her hands.

Just don’t be clingy. Don’t put too much pressure on him. You don’t want him to never talk to you again.

His hands grabbed hers. “Violet, look at me.”

She willed her eyes to meet his. She wanted to blurt out, I love you, I love you, I love you, but she couldn’t. She couldn’t embarrass herself like that.

“Come with me,” he said suddenly.

Her heart beat somewhere outside of her body at the possibility.

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