Page 15 of Paper Flowers (Stonebrook #1)

“Why didn’t you tell me? Why did you have to send me a cryptic message, the other night instead of just telling me!

” Tears are falling and I am so upset with him and the way he has been acting with me.

Dean reaches for my hand and I pull away.

“Please, Dayna.” I take a step away from him.

“I couldn’t tell you. The first day of school, Caleb called for a student.

He said her father is a teacher here, and I wanted to talk to him.

I met with him and I can’t tell you what we talked about but I knew there was something between you with the way you two acted around each other.

” I look at him and scoff. “So, wait. With everything you know about him and his situation you still acted like a complete asshole when I’ve only looked at him? ”

“Dee…I never meant to be that way. I honestly thought you could be there for him because you two dated so long ago, I didn’t think you wo uld still be in love with him.

” His sneering words cut into me. I turned around and walked out of his office.

I reach for my phone and I text Cara to meet me at my house.

I gather my things and close my office door and I head home.

Once I’m home, I change into my running shorts, sports bra, and I grab my zip up sweater. I slip on my running shoes, grab my headphones and walk out my front door. Cara won’t be here for another hour. I put my playlist on and I start running as fast as my body is able too.

I run through main street, the air is fresh, and the sun has begun to set.

Families start to gather for dinner at our local Italian restaurant.

My heart is hurting for Luke. It hurts for Sadie.

I want to help him through it. I start to pick up my pace and I end up on the edge of town.

I put my hands above my head and try to catch my breath.

As I’m cooling down, I see a pair of headlights pulling to the side of the road and it’s Dean.

God— can he just leave me alone? He parks and turns off his car.

I see the door open and I think about running because I am so upset.

But he’ll catch up to me, Mr. Track Star .

“I thought I’d find you here. I stopped at your house but you obviously weren’t home.

” He said matter-of-factly. “Why are you here, Dean?” I said coldly.

“I wanted to make sure you were okay. I know you’d go for a run if you weren’t.

” He says as he starts walking towards me.

“I just don’t know why you would be so mean to him with everything he is going through.

You have no right to be upset with me for anything I do, we are divorced. ”

“I know that. But it hurts to see it in front of me. You. Him. It’s only been two days and I can’t stand the way you are with him.

You were never like that with me. The way your face blushes whenever you see him.

Dayna, we were married for six years and not once did I see your body react to me like that.

Now I have to work with him and be Sadie’s Psychologist? ”

“You can’t be her Psychologist if you have animosity towards her father.

She deserves your best and I don’t think you can do that for her.

” Dean looks at me like I just slapped him across his face.

“How dare you, I do a damn good job at my work and you fucking know it!” He said as he was mere inches away from me.

“First of all, don’t talk to me that way and secondly, you need to take a few steps back.

” The audacity this man has tonight is astronomical.

“I would never jeopardize my career over personal feelings. I will see Sadie Beckett and I will give her the help she needs and deserves.” He said taking a side step away and rubbing his blonde hair back.

“Look, I know you’re really great at your job, you’re probably the best in the district.

But we can’t keep arguing like this. I need you to promise me you’ll be the absolute best person Sadie needs to get through this.

If not, I’ll have to bring in Henry Walker from Stonebrook Middle School.

” Dean glances back at me and takes a deep breath.

“Dee, I promise. I will do my best and if I feel like I can’t— I’ll be the first one to call Walker. ”

That is all I ask for. I can’t be the reason she doesn’t get a fair chance at healing.

“Dean, I know this is hard for you and I appreciate your professionalism. Thank you.” Dean’s dark eyes show me something I haven’t recognized in years.

“I can see you already care a lot for his daughter. The way you go to bat for her and you barely know her, it says everything that I need to know about how serious this is for you.”

“She’s a student who needs the services we can provide for her.”

“At least be honest with yourself. Come on Dee, how do you not see it?

“See what?”

“Nothing. Forget it. Do you need a ride back or are you going to run back to your place?

“I’m fine, I want to run. Thanks.” I grab my headphones and unpause my running playlist and I begin running back to my house.

Cara was already at my house when I rounded the corner down the road.

As I walk up the porch steps and reach for the door, I slip off my headphones.

I kick my shoes off as I approach the front foyer and she takes in my red swollen eyes.

“Dayna, what’s the matter?” I can’t even sit down on the sofa before I start crying.

Cara is up and by my side. “Luke told me the reason why he’s here.

He looked like he was in so much pain. His wife, the one we saw at the baseball game?

She died. Cara, how is that fair to him and Sadie?

It isn’t fair! I thought maybe, this would be a second chance for us but not if he’s hurting like this.

How am I supposed to help him through this? ”

I wipe my tears with the cuff of my running zip up.

I see that Cara has teary eyes, but she is surprisingly calm.

“You already knew, huh?” With a hint of sadness, she says, “I spoke to him about it Friday afternoon. He wanted to tell you himself.” I move to hug my best friend.

“Are you okay?” Cara asks softly. “I’m heartbroken for them.

You saw the way he loved her all those years ago.

I can only imagine how amazing of a mother she was to Sadie.

Liam helped them move here. He’s a corporate lawyer in New York. ”

“Oh, Liam was here too?”

“Only to help them move, he still lives in New York. He was the best. Aside from my brother-in-law Shawn, Liam was the closest thing I had to a big brother.” Cara’s face seems to have flushed, or it’s warmer in here than I thought.

“I can’t picture Luke and Liam with Sadie walking around our small town. Someone would have said something. I wonder how much Liam has changed since I last saw him.”

“Well for one, I hope things worked out for him after his wedding fiasco. I hate how that ended for him.” I heard about his wedding day from Cara and how he stepped in to help her after a rogue line drive to the coaches box.

“He looked divine in his tux that day too.” Cara says as I choke on a laugh.

“Remind me to thank him for saving your life again.”

“Oh for the love of god, I was fine! He overreacted and my scar healed.” If I were to write that scene in a novel I’d say they end up together. But the closest thing to a happily ever after was a week being waited hand and foot by Liam Beckett.

We make our way to the sofa and settle down. I tell her how I’ve been feeling the last couple days. “I told him he still has the same effect on me all those years ago and that I’m into single dads. ”

“No you didn’t!”

“ I did !”

“Do you have feelings for him?”

That is an understatement. I’ve always had feelings for him.

I thought I was doing the right thing by letting him go.

But now being able to see him every day and getting the chance to know him again, hopefully when he’s ready to be with someone again, he could be with me?

Even if I was the one to break us up all those years ago. Would he forgive me?

“I think I have always had feelings for him. I was just a teenager when things got complicated. I guess maybe that’s why I was alright with not having a baby with Dean because in the back of my mind, I knew the only person I’d ever want to have a baby with was Luke.

But then my feelings changed towards Dean and I wanted us to have a baby.

But you know how that went. I can’t shake the feeling, I still want to be a mom, Cara. ”

She rubs the side of my hair and gives me a kind hearted smile.

“Dayna, you need to tell Luke about why you two broke up. The real reason, he will understand what you did wasn’t truly what you wanted but was forced into doing.

You were only thinking of his future and protecting your family.

” Cara is right. I should tell him soon.