A Love Once Lost

a Greene

ping shards of a vase off the floor. But appar

plane he was attempting to build-and still couldn't quite get right. And apparently, giving

ped handing him my phone. Other children his age were glued to cartoons, while

rstand this stuff already?! Wha

its had come from. Certainly not me, that much I knew. The thoug

left for a workout. Not that I needed one anymore. I'd had quite enough exercise alr

d the restaurant just on time, relieved to have a moment to catch my breath. The moment I pushed thr

greeted her politely, making a sub

made it on time today." She ans

n, it wasn't as though I was special. Mrs. Stanfield had a habit of addr

s managerial duties, giving me the p

don't mind, may I

rse. Go

yeste

ng before I

ke this," she excused herself.

off, phone press

Typ

iliar with her. No, I wasn't trying to play

the day. As usual, she was busier than a one-legged man in a backside-kick

asked whether Ruslan had skipped school. Of course she'd jump to that conclusion. I told h

actly

--

ter than usual. Fewer customers, fewer voices, fewer plates clattering a

finishing my shift. I sat on the bench for a while, breathing in the sweet scents drifting

. They didn't have the intoxicating fragrance of roses or lilies, but there was something qui

als. Then I plucked one, tucked it into my h

an stepped throug

I saw his f

xan

ai

is he doing here? How did

lly towards the garden, completely u

I supposed to d

ment because, a second later, I

ll. I could practically sense Alexander drawing closer, and the musky, woody scent of hi

ping to slip away unnoticed. Somehow, it worked. The only casual

nk God," I

on lost somewhere far away. He looked almost sombre as he stared at the daisies, as though they had dredged up

but guilt soon began scrat

g on him like some creep when he doesn't even

s the exit when Mrs. Stanfi

myself behind the

ng this?! Why am I hiding from

ough they were old friends-or perhaps affectionate relatives. Alexander w

re saying, but their familia

till, this definitely wasn't the place to interrogate them. They'd

ake an even bigger f

--

itchen, Brynn looked hor

he garden instead of just e

ng. For approximately three s

smissed the

y specific taste in men: older, dangerous-looking bad boys a

end, Nicholás Fernández, was

he certainly wasn't a bad boy, let alone a mob boss. He wa

years and were clearly madly in love,

ly the end of the world

--

een a single hint of the chaos I'd expecte

and left without causing a s

spotted Mrs. Stanfield in the bar area,

ra was far too touchy with the customers, and it

his was

eld!" I call

d across her face. But the moment s

like you've fini

membered there was something I

ely forgot. Otherwise, I would've come and

a very busy woman. Anyway, what I want

pted, eyeing my n

ious. I'm sorry if this

. You know I don't offe

about Alexander. You know, yesterday, i

oftly. "I suppose it's easy enough for people to thi

ly as if she'd just m

far longer than was

to be