Page 28 of Paper Flowers (Stonebrook #1)

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

DAYNA

F or the first time this October, it’s raining, and it’s coming down hard.

I’m running behind schedule because I couldn’t sleep so I stayed up late watching movies.

Things with Luke have been good, but he’s pulling away and I know it has to do with his late wife’s anniversary nearing. It has been such a long week.

I pull into the parking lot and I don’t see Luke’s truck where he normally parks. He’s probably running late as well. I grab my purse, my work backpack and my umbrella. I brace myself for this sideways rain and strong wind.

I’m sitting in my office and any time someone walks by Mrs. Emily’s desk, I look up hoping to see Luke and Sadie.

I wake my desk monitor and I hear the door open.

It isn’t them. “Hi Heather, it’s nice seeing you.

” Mrs. Emily said to our substitute teacher.

Heather Combs subs for us on the days she isn’t at school herself.

“It looks like you’re covering for…Mr. Beckett.

” Mrs. Emily hands Heather the spare keycard and a sheet of attendance.

“He is in room 12. You’re all set, call up front if you need anything! ”

“Thanks Mrs. Emily.”

Luke called out? I look at the calendar and I just know it’s today.

“Hey, Mrs. Emily?”

“Yes, Sugar?”

“Is Sadie here?”

“No, Ma’am, he called out for both of them. He just said they weren’t feeling well.”

I lean back in my chair and have this gut feeling I should leave work for them.

Luke called out and I want to reach out but he didn’t tell me himself for a reason.

Cara: Give him a couple hours and maybe text him at lunch?

Okay, do you think today is the day his wife died?

Cara: It could be. Damn, poor Luke. I’ll stop by your office during recess.

See you soon.

The lines have been blurred between us for a while but this is one boundary I cannot cross. He would have told me if he wanted me to know. But this is Luke. He does things like this thinking he has to carry the weight of the world on his own shoulders. He doesn’t have to carry it alone.

I must have been in deep concentration because Dean is standing in the doorway. “Oh my god, you scared me.” He takes a seat in front of my desk. Trying to get my heart rate down, Dean waves the folder in his hand.

“What’s this?”

“It’s Sadie’s drawings from yesterday. She’s drawing out her feelings. She’s really opening up during our sessions.” He said in a neutral tone.

“That’s great, Dean. I’m really glad she’s connecting with you. ”

“Have you told Morgan about your relationship with Luke?”

What relationship? Does he mean like in a previous relationship with him?

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.

What relationship? When I was in high school?

” Dean scoffs and tosses the folder open on my desk.

I see the drawing on top and it looks like Sadie, Luke, and me sitting at their dining table.

We’re eating meatloaf. Her drawings are amazing for being an six-year-old.

“Why are you showing me this?”

“Dayna, don’t play dumb. That’s you.” He points to the person that is in fact me. She drew me wearing an oversized flannel. I only owned one up until recently.

“Yeah but what does it matter? Why are you so upset?”

“It matters to her. You are in quite a few drawings.”

He shuffles the papers and I see myself giving Sadie a hug in her bedroom. The next one is her holding Luke’s phone and there is a line down the middle and I’m holding my phone. She drew us talking on the phone but she couldn’t see me so she drew me in my office.

“Dean, this is crossing the line. You can’t be showing me out of spite. Why are you doing this?”

“Why am I? Do you know how unprofessional you’re being?”

I roll my head back and laugh at his statement.

“Me? Unprofessional? You are out of your mind.”

Dean leans in uncomfortably close to me and stares at me intensely. “Are you fucking him?”

I am floored by his question. This is not happening. Not today. I sat up straight and answer him as coldly as possible, “It’s none of your business, Mr. Carter .”

“Right, okay. Just remember this, when you’re screaming out his name in bed, you still have my last name.” Dean said in a low mocking voice and walked out of my office.

I stand to close my door and walk back to my desk. I plop myself down on my chair and I pull up the website. I click on the application to change my last name, fill it out and hit submit. I refuse to let my own name be held against me like that ever again .

Cara knocks on my door and she can easily see that I am upset. She closes the door behind her and takes a seat where Dean was just an hour ago. “Hey, they’re gonna be okay.” She said in the sweetest tone.

“I wish it was that. It’s Dean…” I start crying and tell her what he said to me. I feel like everything is so fucked up. He was so cruel, and it was so easy for him. No hesitation.

“He is an asshole, and he put you in a tough spot. Clearly you have to tell Morgan about what’s going on and you owe it to Luke to let him know as well.”

“I’ll talk to Morgan today and then tomorrow, I’ll let Luke know.”

“And, I’m glad you’re changing your name back to Evans. I never changed your last name on my phone.” Cara confesses and we both giggle at it. I blow my nose and she gets up to head back to her class.

I bought some supplies the other day and Luke bought the rest yesterday. He showed me the book cover he drew for his class and I nearly choked laughing. He really is terrible, but it was so nice that he tried. Gosh, I miss him and Sadie, I hope they’re okay. I write out a message and hit send.

Hi Luke, just wanted to check in and let you know I’m thinking of you and Sadie today. Take care.

It’s the end of the day and I know I have to talk to Morgan about Luke. Her office is directly in front of mine on the opposite side of the front office. Mrs. Emily has Caleb’s daughter stapling the flyers for the Fall Carnival next week. I love how she includes the kids in helping out.

I knock on the door and Morgan is on the phone.

She smiles at me and points to the chair in front of her desk.

I close the door behind me and take a seat.

As I wait for her to finish her phone call, I take a look at my phone and I see an unread message from Luke.

My heart instantly flutters in my chest.

Luke: Thank you for thinking of us. I knew if I told you, you’d want to miss work and stay home with us.

The way he wrote that is as if he said it a thousand times. Home.

I would have missed work for you and Sadie, no questions asked.

I begin to write out “I love you” but I delete it. Instead, I just wait for his reply.

Morgan hangs up her desk phone and smiles at me. “What’s up, Dayna?” She says in the most upbeat tone that makes me want to crawl away.

“I have to talk to you about something that I think you should know. I’m not sure how to go about this and say it, but—” I straighten myself up and talk clearer.

“It’s about Luke Beckett. He used to be my high school boyfriend. I recently started talking and spending time with him and Sadie. He doesn’t know I’m talking to you. But it has come to my attention that there could be a conflict of interest.”

Morgan doesn’t seem too shocked. She’s waiting for me to continue.

“And you know, Dean is working with Sadie. He showed me her drawings out of spite and I felt that was unprofessional. With him being my ex-husband, and Luke my old boyfriend, I felt like you needed to know what was going on.”

“It’s no surprise to me about you and Mr. Beckett.

I have noticed you and Luke during our pizza nights.

You two can’t keep your eyes off each other.

I also have noticed the way Dean has been quite distant.

I didn’t want to speculate about your personal life and bring it up.

I know it’s a complex situation.” So Mrs. Emily isn’t the only one to recognize the stolen glances between Luke and I.

“You two, are you a thing?”

“No. As far as I know, we’re just friends.”

“Friends.” She says calmly.

“Well, I think you coming forward with the information that you have is admirable. I don’t see anything wrong with your relationship with Luke.

It’s not like you’re kissing at work or giving him any special treatment.

It sounds like he isn’t too fond of the face painting gig. ” I can’t help but giggle.

“So is there anything else you want to discuss?

“You’re not upset?”

“No, as long as this doesn’t affect your job or his, I think it’ll be fine.”

“What about Dean?”

“I’ll talk to him and see what’s going on with Sadie’s sessions.” I give her a look of please don’t be angry with him. I know he was mean to me but I know this isn’t easy for him either.

“Before I go, I want to let you know, I’m in the process of changing my last name back to Evans.” Morgan nods her head and winks.

I returned to my office, turned off my computer and grabbed my things.

It’s been raining all day but thank goodness we have an indoor campus.

I decided to pick up ice cream and drop it off to Luke and Sadie.

If I can hold them both in my arms and absorb their heartache, I would have done that the first day I saw them.

Walking to my car, the rain is down to a drizzle unlike this morning’s storm. I get in as quickly as I can and head towards Swirl and Toppings. I’m about halfway there when my phone starts ringing. Luke’s name appears on the CarPlay screen. My belly flips as I didn’t expect to talk to him today.

“Hey.” I said as I answered it.

“Did you leave work already?”

“Yeah, I just left a few minutes ago.”

“Can you come over? ”

“I…was actually planning on dropping off ice cream for you and Sadie. I—I was going to leave it on the porch.”

“Her favorite is cookies and cream and do you remember my favorite?”

“Plain vanilla with salted caramel syrup on top?” I respond hoping to be right. He never liked anything else no matter how many times Cara and I tried to get him to try something new.

“Still the same. See you in a bit?”

“I’ll be there soon.”