Page 7 of Paper Flowers (Stonebrook #1)

“Dayna, Hi.” He said awkwardly. “I know this is weird, but I wanted to check on you. Earlier you looked like you were about to be sick and I overheard you talking to Mrs. Emily.” Oh god, he must have seen my reaction to Mrs. Emily’s comment about Luke.

Against my better judgement, I ask “Would you like to come in?” I take a step back to give him room to walk through the threshold.

Something about him being here makes me want to throw up.

This is my home but I always give him a chance when I know I shouldn’t.

It’s been a few months since I bought this house. We divided our assets down the middle. It was a clean break since we didn’t have children, the lawyers said. That comment had stung deep into my heart and Dean didn’t even react to it.

Dean takes a seat on the sofa and I sit down on the ottoman.

He looks enormous on my new sofa. We sat there in silence for a few awkward minutes before I spoke.

“I, um yeah— I was feeling jet lagged. I just got back to town from the conference this morning and went straight to school.” I didn’t quite lie.

I just left out the part where the person I loved at 18 and had all my firsts with was standing in front of me for the first time in years.

I am way over my head. Dean takes that in and says “I just thought there was something else. The way you spoke to Luke, it seemed like you knew him.”

Oh god. He knows. I was married to the man for the last six years.

Of course he knows. I exhale slowly, “Luke, he was my high school boyfriend, my first everything.” He sits up straight.

I continued, “He was the reason I went to watch the LBS baseball championship. At the time I just wanted to watch his game and maybe speak to him afterwards but then I saw him with a new girl. I knew what we had was definitely over. So I left.” I don’t dare tell him about the real reason I needed Luke and I to break up.

I haven’t even given Luke the chance of knowing.

His face is stern and his dark eyes are staring into me.

“That’s the day we met.” His voice sends icy chills down my spine.

“Yes. I know how this looks and believe me Dean, I am so thankful to have been there at that moment because I got to meet you. Yeah, you and I didn’t work out, but it was still worth the love I had for you. ” I said quickly.

He blows out a breath and I am wondering what he is thinking.

“Dayna, this is a lot. This feels like I was second best to you. Why couldn’t you just tell me about him when we started dating?

” He said in a displeased voice. “Dean, you were never second, you were the only one. I was hurt then, I didn’t want to feel anything and then I saw you and everything inside me changed.

” He stands up and starts pacing the floor and asks me “Did you know he was here in Stonebrook? How long have you been talking to him?”

I stand up to look him in the eyes, he towers over me by a foot. Keeping the distance between us, I side step Dean. “No. I had no idea he was here in town or that he works here until I saw him today in the office.”

This is a mess, and I only spoke to Luke for less than five minutes.

The better half of me knows Dean doesn’t deserve an explanation but I can’t help seeing the look on his face.

Where the hell is Cara? “Do you still love him?” He caught me off guard with that question.

“I—I don’t know. I haven’t seen or spoken to him until today but I know I care about him.

I always have.” I said tenderly because I don’t want to upset him more.

Dean closes the gap between us but I back away just as Cara walks through my front door.

“Dayna, you need to tell me every—” her eyes go straight to Dean and looks back at me and mouths “ What the fuck ?”

Dean glances at Cara and smiles faintly “Hey Cara, I was just leaving. We’ll talk later, Dee.

” I look at Dean and I know there’s something he isn’t telling me.

He walks over to me hesitantly and then kisses my cheek.

I am dumbstruck by it. Cara’s expression looks like what I feel.

Dean walks out of my house and the door closes softly.

The first thing Cara does is walks over to me to give me a hug.

I needed this. She had her arms wrapped around my back.

“You look like you need today to end already. How about some wine, yeah?” She says holding up a bottle of wine.

I burst out with a laugh and we walked over to my kitchen.

We sit at my dining table drinking our wine and I tell her everything that has happened in the short hour and a half.

“Did you see his beard? Who knew our Luke could grow one.” Cara jokes.

“It looks amazing on him too.” I say bashfully.

We laugh together throughout the night reminiscing over the times we had in high school.

As I’m laying in bed, I wonder why Dean would react the way he did to give me a kiss, even if it was on the cheek. its unusual behavior for him and I’m a little worried. I’m also wondering what Mrs. Emily was going to say. Those two things make my stomach twist and I know it isn’t the wine.

My phone vibrates and I look at the screen, it’s a text from Dean. Thinking of the devil. It’s now 11 PM and I know nothing good can come from this.

Dean: D, I shouldn’t even be saying anything to you but I know you and I know you’ll be the person he needs.

I pull down the notification screen and read the text from there. I don’t open it because I don’t want him to see that I read it. As I’m reading the first text, I see another text come through.

Dean: Well it’s late, if you need to talk to me, I’m here…

What the fuck does that even mean? Why would he send something so cryptic? Could he be talking about Luke? Is that why Luke was in Dean’s office today— was he seeking his help? Why would he need to see him unless— it isn’t for him and it’s for Sadie?