shop trying to get flowers for Victoria to make up for la

ng at Ethan for treat

study, his shoulders squared with a fury Ethan had only seen once before,

-amused, a glass of scotch lazily twirling in his finger

he door shut so hard the walls tr

need a lecture from my best friend about how to handl

ipping woman shred Victoria in front of a room full of billionaires like she was entertainment. She ins

ing harsh, not hostile. Victoria overreacted-she can't expect to be cod

That was calculated humiliation. And you backed it. You called her a gold digger in front of me like she isn'

oom, all charm and fire, and I'm the one they'll pin it on if something looks too cozy. I've seen it be

in with your past mistakes. She's not some girl looking for a payout. She's working, Ethan. Working hard while being picked apart

, stepping around the desk to c

cing yourself to protect your name? No, what you did last night was cowardice. A man protects the people who work for him, wh

han's fists clenched at his sides, Bo's jaw locked, both on the edge

m sorry for being a spineless, privileged asshole while you got publicly humiliated.' And maybe, i

not just a writer, she is more than that and you should stop bringin

o her, the less likely the chance of her falling in lo

was employed to work for you just because of some stupid delusion you have in your head that she is going to fall in love with you, heck she mi

while Bo turned and walked out, leaving Et

R SHOP EARL

ws of this place because he always came here with Bo to buy flowers for his daughter after her school recitals. The space smelled like springtime, fresh-cut blooms and

ver hoop earrings and dirt-streaked hands

he asked with a bri

eral big, but like-'I deeply fucked up' big." He clumsily

ched an eyebro

nd of. Not really. Writer.

her into not hating you

ally,

her first redemption bouquet.

the time. Peonies. Pink ones. Like, obsessively." In his mind, he thanked Bo for giving him

peony girl. Romantic. Soft w

n gold paper, something elegant but not too much. No plastic. Maybe add s

, already reaching for a

eth-grindingly cheesy. Something like.." He paused, then muttered, "Sorry for be

ghed. "Wow. Tha

t a little. And maybe not

right up

g on what exactly his dumb ass was going to say to get her to forg

e an emotional support animal, inhaling the scent of a

gainst the steering whee

the wrath of plenty obsessed women and multiple public scandals... this is just one woman. One te

e your way out of this. You are going to look her in the eyes and say you were wrong. You're going to mean it.

icking out of the bouquet

gest asshole. Here's a distracti

? Not enough? God, y

e building. Heart pounding. Hands sweating. Every step was heavy

t was about respect. Redemption. And someone who

a knot in her stomach from everything that had gone down. But curiosity tugged harder. When she opened the door, Ethan stood there, almost apologetically tall, dressed down for once in a grey sweat

in peace. And with florals." He hoped

dy to slam the door on his fake sorry ass face, this was probably to fuel his

logy starter kit. Please just take them before I drop them. My arms ar

. "Come in. And don't annoy me this time."

d vanilla candles, and the quiet hum of a paused episode of Game of Thrones played from her lap

on the table, paused mid-e

n four," Ethan murmured

etrayed," she shot back without missing a beat.

r couch. Photos tacked up, Polaroids and prints: street food in Thailand, a camel ride in Morocco, a blurry disco-lit club in Berlin, a beach sunse

the collage. There was a softness in his voice no

she said. "It's my version of therapy. People watching. Getting lost. Finding weird street snacks.

Miami?". More comfortable now as it felt as if she

was a backup dancer for Drake. I ended up on someone's Snapchat story dancing with a traffic con

ced a room full of strangers I was an Irish pop star. I miss that kind of chaos. Everyt

u're here to apologize. You should get on with it." She rudely replied ke

pace. "You're right. Okay. Look, I know you probably think I'm some spoiled rich kid

d 'rude.'" She was enjoy

happen. Worse, I joined in. Not because I believed her, but because I was too damn scared to challenge her. I was scared of the press, scared of the optics,

lenched, but she

. "You're building something that matters to you. And I walked in like it

and shook her hea

ward. "Tell m

yone else my entire life. Blog ghostwriting, ad copy, corporate bios. Nothing with my name on it. This job was supposed to be

d away, bl

ng to be better. Because when I think about who I want to be remembered as, it's not the guy who

od with words when you aren't being

I needed you to remind me how to use them p

uch," he said, quietly. In a

oto on her table. She looked

The kind of stories that aren't headlines

ob.." she paused, looking at the bouquet beside her. "It was supposed to be my first real byline. My name. My work. My voice. Not ghostwriting some rich man's

up in surrender.

." She said

gers brushing the petals of the flowers he brought

ology accepted. But only because t

miss an opportunity,

nked awake, and up popped the last thing either of them expected the infamous tab of Ethan's leaked nudes from that scanda

pull that up for fun?" He sneakily responds

arch!" she squeaked. "I write for you, remember? I had to see what the inter

you're saying my best angles inspire your best paragraphs?" He sa

'mysterious, yet vulnerable' really

e flowers now, face buried somewhere b

s" he grinned, sh

was reading the comments, okay?

muscles could solve world hunger'?" He re

viscously responded, ok

I believe in art'?" He t

rself, shoving him gen

ked. Was this part of the plan? He thought

at? Apology not accepted. Get out." He only laughed harder, a

ard, just weighted, charged with all the

go to, every meeting. I want to walk through Barcelona with you. Sip coffee with you in Kyoto. Write and drink and fight in the mi

r the first time in a long time, she didn't see an ego in a suit

bout it," she

them could say more

cane. Gray's eyes narrowed the second

ria solemnly responds ex

riously here? You're hanging o

esus, I brought flowers!

peak. His fist cracked against Ethan's nose with a sickening crunch, s

ly on Gray's jaw with a sharp, echoing snap. Gray stumbled back,

screamed. "STOP

r, one hand cupping his bleeding nose, the

t," he spat, voice raw. "Guess I

driveway, blood trailing on his way to his ca