Love so Hot (Misfit Millionaires #1)

Chapter 46Willow

Chapter Forty-Six

Willow

The bell over the door jingles as I step into Mrs. Sullivan's flower shop, the sweet scent of roses and lilies enveloping me like a comforting hug. I breathe it in deep, trying to let the familiar aroma soothe my frayed nerves. Fat chance of that working today.

I grab my usual green apron off the hook and tie it around my waist, heading for the workstation in the corner. Time to lose myself in some mindless flower arranging before tonight's big plans with River. Plans I'm totally psyched about. Really. The knot in my stomach? Just excitement. Definitely not dread or anything.

I start trimming stems with probably more force than necessary, petals and leaves scattering across the wooden counter. My mind drifts to River's intense green eyes, the way they light up when he talks about taking down the "corporate eco-terrorists." God, when did his passion start to exhaust me instead of inspire me?

"Willow? Is that you, dear?" Mrs. Sullivan's gentle voice floats out from the back room.

I freeze, scissors poised over a hydrangea stem. "Uh, yeah! It's me, Mrs. S."

She emerges, silver hair adorned with a crown of daisies, and I can't help but smile. Classic Mother Earth personified.

"I thought I heard someone come in." Her warm brown eyes crinkle as she beams at me. "It's so good to see you, sweetheart. It's been a while."

Guilt washes over me. "I know, I'm sorry. Things have been... complicated lately."

Mrs. Sullivan waves her hands dismissively, bangles jingling. "Oh hush, you always have a place here. This shop is as much yours as it is mine."

And just like that, the dam breaks. Tears spring to my eyes before I can stop them. Her kindness, the familiar scent of flowers, the ache of feeling so lost – it all crashes over me at once.

"Oh honey," Mrs. Sullivan murmurs, concern etching her face. "What's troubling you?"

I open my mouth to respond, but no words come out. How can I even begin to explain the mess I've made of my life? That I'm torn between the cause I've dedicated my life to and the man I never meant to fall for? That I feel like I don't belong anywhere anymore?

Instead, I just shake my head and wipe furiously at my eyes. "It's nothing. I'm fine. Just... glad to be back, that's all."

Mrs. Sullivan gives me a look that says she doesn't buy it for a second. "Well, why don't you tell me all about what you've been up to while we arrange some bouquets? I've got a big order for an event tonight."

I nod gratefully, beyond relieved for the distraction. As we fall into the familiar rhythm of working side by side, I try to ignore the nagging voice in my head reminding me that in a few short hours, I'm supposed to be proving my loyalty to River and the Earth Defenders.

Some defender I am, hiding out in a flower shop and second-guessing everything.

Mrs. Sullivan's gentle prodding finally breaks through my defenses. I take a shaky breath and the words tumble out in a rush.

"I got engaged to Larry Sinclair," I blurt out, my hands trembling as I clip a rose stem. "It was supposed to be fake, you know? A way to avoid jail time for that protest gone wrong. But then..." I trail off, remembering the warmth of Larry's smile, the safety I felt in his arms. How he softened, how I softened.

Mrs. Sullivan's eyebrows shoot up. "Larry Sinclair? Mr. Pipeline?" She nods her head a few times. “That explains why he called saying you wouldn’t be working here any longer.”

I nod miserably. "Living with him, it became... more. Real. Until I overheard this phone call and realized I couldn't stay there anymore." My voice cracks at the memory, and I quickly busy myself with arranging stems, but my hands shake too much to focus.

Mrs. Sullivan pats my hand sympathetically. "Oh, dear. That's quite a tangle you've gotten yourself into."

"That's not even the half of it," I mutter, plucking wilted petals with more force than necessary. "I went back to the Earth Defenders camp, thinking they'd welcome me with open arms. But now? It's like I'm invisible. Or worse, a traitor. I don’t know where I belong anymore."

Mrs. Sullivan listens patiently as I pour out my fears about tonight's plans with River. The knot in my stomach tightens as I voice the doubts I've been trying to ignore. River, the one I thought I was supposed to impress, now seems distant. It's as if the world split into two after I walked away from Larry, and I'm stuck in the middle, unsure which side to choose.

"I don't know how I feel about any of it anymore," I confess, my voice barely above a whisper. "What if I'm making a huge mistake?"

Mrs. Sullivan’s eyes sparkle with the kind of wisdom only age and experience can provide. She doesn’t say anything right away, just lets the moment hang between us like the scent of freshly bloomed roses. Then, she leans closer, her voice as soft as the petals beneath our fingers.

"I think you do know how you feel, dear. You just don't want to admit it to yourself."

I freeze, a half-trimmed daisy dangling from my fingers. My heart races, and I can feel a blush creeping up my neck. "I... I don't..." The denial forms in my throat, but it doesn't feel true.

Mrs. Sullivan’s smile deepens, gentle but persistent, like a bud opening beneath the sun. "It's okay," she says softly, her voice gentle as a spring breeze. "Sometimes we need to say it out loud to make it real."

I stare at her, my mind spinning. Say it out loud? Could it really be that simple? My chest tightens as memories flood my mind—Larry’s protectiveness, the way his touch lingered longer than it should have, the heat in his eyes when he looked at me like I was the only person in the room.

I take a deep breath, the familiar scent of flowers filling my lungs, and with it, the weight of everything I’ve been avoiding. The words feel heavy, like they’ve been lodged in my chest for far too long.

"I love Larry," I whisper, the words barely audible even to my own ears. But the moment they escape, it’s like a dam breaks inside me. My heart, previously wrapped in knots, loosens.

Mrs. Sullivan smiles knowingly, her hand resting on mine. "Now, wasn’t that easier than pretending otherwise?"Mrs. Sullivan's smile widens. "There now, that wasn't so hard, was it? And I think you know what to do about this thing with River tonight."

My stomach drops. "It's not that simple," I protest, twirling the daisy stem between my fingers. "River was my first friend, my first everything. He's the reason I'm here, fighting for what's right. How can I just give all that up?"

I can't help but think of all the nights spent planning protests, the adrenaline rush of civil disobedience, the fierce pride I felt standing beside River as we fought for our cause. It feels like betraying a part of myself to walk away from that.

Mrs. Sullivan's eyes soften with understanding. "Who we start out as is different than who we end up. The people who impact us along the way are important, but that doesn't mean we need to hold onto them so tightly that we prevent ourselves from moving forward."

I try and smile, but my lips just wont move. "Whatever you decide tonight, I know it'll be the right decision." She pats my hand. "I'm going to get some more roses from the back. Stay right there," she says.

I nod. I watch her disappear into the back. I hope she's right. Because right now? Everything feels so wrong.