Page 121 of Wallflower in Bloom

“Eh, Mrs. Maroo is holding down the fort. It’s slow this morning, anyway. Everyone’s getting ready for the Founder’s Day parade.” Lily’s eyes caught on Nash standing in her apartment, and her cheeks turned instantly pink.

Nash stared at Lily with an intensity Violet hadn’t seen before.

He handed Lily a to-go coffee cup. “Hey, Lilypad. I brought you an oat milk latte.”

She snatched it away, her eyes narrowing. “Thank you,” she said flatly to him.

“We should go,” Nash said with a resigned sigh, tapping Gray on the shoulder. “Time for you to lose another one-on-one game.”

“Gray,” Lily said, making it a point to ignore Nash. “Would you tell Mrs. Maroo I’ll be down in five?”

“Sure thing, Lilypad,” Gray said, mocking Nash’s nickname for Lily.

Lily rolled her eyes. The room was silent until the door clicked shut behind Gray and Nash.

“What the hell, Lily?” Rose said. “What is your deal?”

“There’s no deal.” Lily shrugged, sipping the coffee. “Ugh, and he got it right, too. So annoying.” Lily paced in front of them.

Rose and Violet glanced at each other with curious looks. Lily had crushed hard on Nash when they were kids. But this was turning into something else entirely.

“You were so prickly with each other at the barbecue, and now you practically jump down his throat?” Violet asked.

“He’s the one who kissed me. I wasn’t the one jumping down his throat.”

“What?” Violet and Rose both yelled in shock.

Lily’s eyes went wide, realizing her mistake. “Uh, I hear Mrs. Maroo—”

“Stop right there,” Rose commanded, and Lily froze.

This was worth getting up for. Violet pushed herself up and put her leftovers in Lily’s fridge. “I am heartsick and lonely. I deserve hot gossip.”

Lily rolled her eyes. “It was a one-time thing. It’s not going to happen again. It was a mistake; he said so. I agreed,” Lily grumbled as if she wished the most painful death upon him. “Plus, I’m not here forever, and you know he is.”

Lily had agreed to stay for a year after Bloom opened to get it off the ground, but their free-spirited sister couldn’t be tied down for too long.

“It’s not even worth talking about.” Lily shrugged, but Violet saw a flash of emotion she tamped down.

“I haven’t seen you this worked up over a guy in a long time,” Violet said, wrapping Lily in a hug.

“Maybe it was my master plan to get you out of your funk,” Lily said, winking at her.

Violet stretched. “Ugh, I guess it’s time I’m done wallowing. It’s been a week. It’s just lonely at home.”

“I know you miss him,” Lily said, bumping her shoulder against hers, “but you’re cramping my style.”

Violet smirked as she gathered her things. “Maybe I should trap you and Nash in the cooler since it worked so well for Rose and Gray.”

Rose’s jaw fell open. “You trapped us?”

The first glimmer of happiness in a week sparkled through Violet as she slyly smiled. “What can I say? I love love. And maybe my foot nudged the doorstop as I walked past, locking you in.”

Rose gathered her in a fierce hug full of laughs and tickles. God, she was happy her sisters were here.

It was probably time to emerge from her cave of Big Sad Feels. She snatched the rest of the Oreos. “I’m taking these with me.”

“Ugh, fine,” Lily said, leaning up to peck her cheek.

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