Lorraine smiles. “We told them your threads are complicated. Tangled. And that perhaps, you are beginning to reconsider your…isolation.”
“I haven’t decided that.”
Constance leans forward. “Then perhaps it’s time you consider what you truly want, Hayden. Is this still the life you wish to lead?”
I pause, irritation coiling tight in my chest. Constance’s words snag, threading through me whether I want them to or not. And I don’t want them anywhere near me.
“I don’t know,” I snap. “And frankly, I don’t think you do, either.”
Their smiles deepen; they’re unfazed by my outburst. “Then perhaps the threads are guiding you toward a new pattern,” Agnes says. “One you’ve avoided until now.”
My teeth grit. “Or, maybe you’re just seeing what you want to see.”
“Be careful, Hayden,” Lorraine warns. “Turning a blind eye to the threads rarely bodes well.”
“And that’s enough of your riddles,” I mutter, voice clipped. I don’t wait for their rebuttal; I’m already moving.
• • •
The windows ofLevi’s flower shop are dark, the glow of the moon reflecting faintly off the glass. But I don’t knock. I just…wait. There’s something about the quiet of this place. About thestillness that surrounds it when he’s not here. Even in silence, this shopfeelslike Levi.
I sit on the stoop, elbows on my knees, trying not to think about the way Lorraine’s words echo in my head. My brothers. My threads. My choices.
And then I hear him.
Boots on pavement. A burst of laughter trailing behind him from the street after Dominic shouts something obscene before driving away. Levi rounds the corner, his coat pulled tight, and cheeks pink from the cold…or the drinks.
“Holy fuck,” Levi breathes, slowing to a stop. “You scared the shit out of me!”
“Apologies,” I say, rising from the stoop. “Didn’t mean to lurk. Thought I’d stop by.”
“At”—he glances at his phone, squinting—“one thirty in the morning? What happened to that early start you mentioned?”
I shrug, stepping closer. “Turns out sleep is overrated. And so is pretending I didn’t want to see you.”
His brows lift, but that grin spreads, loose and warm. “Who, me?” he asks innocently.
“Aren’t you the one always telling me restraint is a waste of time?” I murmur, stepping closer. “I decided to follow your lead.”
Levi hums, eyes glittering. “Careful,” he says, tilting up his chin. “Follow me too far and you’ll end up tangled in my sheets.”
“I’m counting on it.”
And then I kiss him. He makes a sound somewhere between a gasp and a laugh, and kisses me back, warm and eager. His fingers curl into the front of my coat as he presses close, grinning against my mouth.
“You know,” he whispers when we finally pull apart, breath ghosting across my lips, “for someone who said no to drinks earlier, you’re definitely giving late-night bad-decision energy.”
I arch a brow. “Is that what this is?”
He shrugs, mischievous. “Depends on how long you plan on staying.”
Levi unlocks the door and we step into the shop. It smells like eucalyptus and soil. He flips on the low light by the register, casting the space in a soft amber glow.
“Did you have fun tonight?” I ask, trailing after him.
“Mm-hm,” he hums, kicking off his boots. “Dominic kept ordering something called a ‘Bittersweet Bottom.’ I think it was mostly tequila and whatever mixer the bartender could find.”
“I want a taste,” I murmur, stepping closer.
