❄ Every flower must grow through dirt. ❄

b o u v a r d i a

[ s y m b o l i z e s   z e s t   f o r   l i f e   a n d   e n t h u s i a s m .]

"When will you get off?" Was my first question as I entered the shop.

She gave me a pointed look because there was an old lady buying flowers.

"Oh, hello." I grinned sheepishly at the old lady.

"You have a handsome husband here." She smiled at Aster.

She was taken aback and looked flustered. Her eyes pleaded me to correct the old lady but I was not in a mood.

"Why, thank you, ma'am," I answered back curtly.

Aster looked at me with narrowed eyes as I walked closer to counter. The old lady left after giving us a blessing.

"You could have corrected her."

"I thought I was Mr. Boyfriend," I told her with a smirk earning an eye roll from her.

"I want to show you a nice place." I ignored her disapproving look and asked her on a date.

I wanted her to forget about that douche and make her believe she was beautiful, most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life.

"Kyler, I am busy as you can see." Her tone was not hard or cold, just indecisive.

"Aster, come along. I will not take no for an answer." I rested my elbows on the counter and bent closer to her.

"I am curious." She said.

"About?"

"About your behaviour. Why are you being so nice to me?" She sounded troubled.

"Because I am a nice person." I gave her the simplest reason.

This made her smile a bit.

"That you are Kyler." She mumbled an agreement.

This made me smile even more.

She didn't question me further and I was glad because what will I say. I am helping you because I like you and find you insanely attractive and help those sad eyes get rid of the pain?

"Okay, I can leave the shop for an hour."

"Great." I didn't waste any time and pulled her out by her wrist.

She locked the shop and raised her eyebrow when she saw the car out front.

"Where are we going?"

"Some place nice."

"Kyler." She said it like a warning to tell her where we were going.

"Aster. I mirrored her tone.

I opened the car door for her after a moment of glaring at me, she finally got in and I yelled mentally in the victory.

After a silent ride of ten minutes, we reached the place and she peeped out like a curious kid making me chuckle.

"The Swing Garden," She said in awe and looked at me with a once in a while dazzling smile.

Her eyes sparkled like a kid who just got his favourite candy.

She jumped out of the car.

The garden was a posh place with several bench swings , flowers and a lake in between. Few people were in the garden but the point I liked was empty. I pulled her to the swing, nearest to the lake.

She looked happy and content.

Even before I could say a word, she sat on the bench I was thinking about.

I sat down beside her and admired her like a creep I was turning into. The light of sun made her hair glow and the red hue on her cheek made her look like a flower shining under the sunlight. My eyes flickered to her soft lips and for a moment I thought about kissing her but I held back the thought.

"Take off your shoe," I advised.

She frowned and looked at me.

"The grass near the lake is cooler. Take off the shoe and let your toes feel it. It is kind of stress relieving." I explained it to her.

She shook her head in a light no.

"Why?"

"I don't feel like it." That was words for something she was trying to hide.

I debated between letting it go and between doing something about it.

I chose the latter. So I bent down and grabbed her ankle.

"KYLER!" She yelped and tried to pull the leg away.

I took off her shoe and then I realised why she was hiding them. There was a huge burn mark on her feet.

Her head hung in shame.

I didn't say a word about the injury.

"How does it feel now, grass if heavenly cool isn't it?"

She looked at me filled with surprise and..awe.

"My foster siblings threw boiling water on my feet when I was young." She explained in a soft small voice herself without even me asking her.

"Those sons of bit-" She grinned and added, "Actually they were daughters.

I laughed at her genuinely happy at the kind of person she was.

"Well, they might be jealous of how beautiful your feet are," I told her with a casual shrug.

"They are not beautiful." But there was a ghost of a smile on her lips as she denied the obvious.

And then we just sat there swinging our legs like kindergarten kids leaving behind all the worries. Once in a while, I will notice her smile, her hair move with the breeze, her eyes looking at me filled with gratitude.

I wanted to ask her about Brian and how the douche came in her life and had the nerve to leave her but the moment was kind of perfect and I didn't want to ruin it.

"Kyle." She said softly and I looked at her immediately.

"Bouvardia." She gave me a small pink flower pulling out of her small bag.

It was just a flower in a small puddle of mud in a polybag.

"You brought this here?" I chuckled at her while she just smiled and shook her head at me as if I was hopeless.

"Lesson, remember and besides I am taking this home with me. This flower symbolises zest for life."

She gave me a coy smile and took the plant in her hands.

"I am going to grow this and see how it turns out. Thank you for making me believe or at least giving me hope."

So this flower was not for me but for her and I encouraged her to grow it. I felt proud of myself.

"I thought making me believe was your job." I teased her.

"Don't expect too much from a broken person Kyler."

"But Aster," I leaned in closer to her and saw her eyes widen and cheeks coloured, "One who are broken and live to tell about it are the strongest kind."

❄  ❄  ❄ 

What?!!! @25 in short story....*yelp and gives out free hugs*

Thank you guys, I love you all with all my heart.

And now thought about the chapter? It was kind of hard to write. I am tired, fasting and also struggling with a proper end for one of my other stories, Can you save me? :)

This guys make me smile, cute! So come up with a ship name.

And also the winner among the covers were, the 3 one which won by 1 vote so I will be soon changing it back to the original cover.

Till then Ciao...and vote darlings!