A Broken Forever(67)

Saturday Morning

Getting up the next morning was much easier than it had been countless mornings before. Besides my slight junk food overload sitting uncomfortably in my stomach, I felt great. I showered, prepared for another long day at the salon, and even squeezed in a phone call with Richard.

Before I knew it, I was walking into the salon and came to a practically screeching halt when I saw two more vases of flowers. These were just as magnificent as the ones before, but these vases had a little bit of everything. Lilies, orchids, sunflowers, roses, all different colors and sizes. To say Stefan outdid himself would be an understatement. The astonishment that washed over me was quickly noted by Kacie, as she stopped sweeping her station to meet me at the counter.

With one glance at the look on her face, I knew she wasn't as believing as she had been the last time flowers arrived. Before she was too close I slipped the cards from the vases, into my pocket and readied myself for whatever was coming.

"Morning Grey, looks like Richard is once again out to impress you."

Offering the most genuine smile I could, I gave a confirming nod. "He's working a 30-hour shift and we decided to have a date tonight. I guess he's just trying to make this night as special as he can."

"Well, he's definitely succeeding. Why does he keep sending one vase after another? Wouldn't it at least make more sense to wait until one set of flowers died before sending more?"

Why did she have to think so logically? All valid points but since it was all a ruse anyway, I had to stand my ground.

"I suppose, but Richard's just trying to be more hands on since our fight."

Kacie nodded, but it was easy to see she was far from convinced. "Yeah, I understand all that, but why is he dropping probably around 200 dollars a day on flowers, when he could do something cheaper. I mean, you live with the man, so it isn't like you don't see him basically every night, aside from his long shifts."



       
         
       
        

"Yeah, I don't know." I hurried off to the break room, but Kacie wasn't giving up that easily.

"Grey, is there something wrong between you and Richard?"

Out of earshot of clients and other stylists, Kacie wasn't beating around the bush anymore.

"Of course not," I said, spinning around to look at her with as truthful as a confused expression I could conjure up.

"Yeah," she crossed her arms over her chest. "I didn't think so. You want to know what else?"

This was probably the time when I should have added a snarky comeback, and tried to stop whatever thought process she was barreling down. Instead I stood there, saying nothing and letting her press on full steam ahead.

"I know, for a fact, that Richard does not, and has not ever called you Greyson Rose."

"Why would you think that??"

"I didn't think anything of it at first but yesterday, when I was here working, I was examining the flowers and it hit me. It was over a year ago, when you were still living with me and Kari. Richard came by to hang out with me and you to just have a quiet night in. I think you were sick or something and he wanted to see you. Anyway, he showed up with a single pink rose and when he handed it to you he said, a beautiful rose for my incredibly stunning, Greyson Rose. You straight up cringed when he said it, and immediately corrected him. Except you didn't just say you don't like that name, or just let it roll off your back which would have been much easier. Your face dropped and you wouldn't even look him in the eye when you finally said, thank you, it's beautiful but can you please not call me that? Of course he wanted to know why and you said, it was just a name someone used to call me and I don't want to hear it anymore."

Silence.

What was I supposed to say to that? Everything she said was the truth; that night was one I remember very clearly, and I could hardly believe myself for correcting him. It was just a name and it wasn't as if he had ever called me that before. But hearing another man use my first and middle names was something I wasn't able to handle.

"The flowers have been from Stefan, haven't they?"

My eyes slid to the break room table that still held the first bouquet I received. There was no point lying anymore, nothing I could say would make Kacie believe anything else.

"Yeah, they have been."

The instant her head shook with disapproval, I felt my tongue ready to lash back. "What's the big deal? He's sending me flowers, I'm not asking him to, and I'm trying to keep our nosy stylists from running wild from knowing the truth!"

Her head shook with incredulity, "You are so missing the point here, Grey!"