Chapter 17 Flower Power
Snow crunched beneath her feet as she walked between the trees on the outskirts of her parents’ property. Birds chirped in the trees, and for once, Andrea felt a bit of peace. She hated that she’d hurt her sister, but she hadn’t had any choice but to tell her about Brent. That guy was no good, and the sooner Leslie saw it for herself, the better.
Her phone beeped in her pocket. It was a text from her mom. “Visiting hours start at 10:00 today.”
“Okay. I’ll be there.” It wasn’t quite 9:00 yet. She still needed to take a shower, but she wanted to spend a few more minutes outside, catching her breath and clearing her head.
She continued to walk, thinking about her sister, about her grandpa, and also about Case. Which reminded her of Sarah.
Andrea had to wonder if the Sarah Lockton he knew was the same woman who'd done such awful things to her. Not only had Sarah taken her childish antics to the media when Andrea had been given a particular role Sarah wanted, she'd gone so much further than that. It made Andrea's eyes sting to think about all of the horrible things she'd done, one in particular she kept to herself because even thinking about it made her so angry and upset, she couldn't handle it. When Sarah had gotten the role in "Try to Stop Me" last year, Andrea couldn't believe it. She wasn't right for the role. Andrea would've made it an award winning film. Instead, it fell flat. Sarah's name might be bigger in Hollywood than Andrea's at the moment, but she wasn't more talented. What in the world had Case seen in the woman to begin with?
As if he knew she was thinking about him, Case sent her a text. She smiled before she even read it, glad she’d thought to give him her number while they were traveling the day before.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I will be.” She was certain of that. “I just feel bad for Leslie.”
“I know. That Brent is a jerk. Sooner or later, she’ll figure it out.”
“I hope it’s sooner.”
He sent a smiley face emoji. “I’m so sorry you’re upset. Are you coming back soon? We need to head to the hospital.”
“Yes. I have to take a shower. I’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Again, he sent another emoji to make her smile. Andrea stopped and leaned against a large tree for a few moments, letting the idea of allowing Case into her life to set in. She had a feeling it was going to happen whether she wanted it to or not. She may as well embrace it!
After a few more minutes of wandering through the snow, Andrea headed back home. She practically ran up the stairs, hoping to see Case—and not her sister or her idiotic boyfriend.
She stopped at Case’s door. It was ajar, but he wasn’t inside. She hadn’t seen him downstairs either. Wondering where he might be, she decided to take a shower and then find him.
When she opened her bedroom door, her hands flew immediately to her mouth. Her room was full of her favorite winter flowers—white poinsettias! She couldn’t believe it! The fragrance filled her lungs, and the beautiful white blooms glistened in the morning light.
Andrea stepped forward and ran her fingertips along the soft petals of the flowers on her nightstand. This might just be the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her. Soft footsteps behind her had her turning to see Case in the doorway, his eyebrows raised, as if he wasn’t sure what to expect from her.
“You did this?” she asked, knowing it couldn’t have been anyone else.
He shrugged, as if it hadn’t been the sweetest gesture imaginable. “I knew you were upset, about a lot of things, and I wanted you to feel better.”
“How did you know?” she asked, stepping closer to him.
A crooked smile lit his face. “I know a thing or two about you, Andrea. I told you, I’ve been watching your movies for a long time.”
“I don’t think I ever mentioned my favorite flower in a movie.”
A soft chuckle escaped his perfect lips, and he ran his tongue over them. “I read it in a magazine. Last Christmas.”
Andrea felt her cheeks pink. Had he been such a fan he was reading articles about her even that long ago? “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me.”
“I’m so glad you like it.”
“I love it.”
Somehow, she’d gotten close enough to him that his arms wrapped around her. Case pulled her close, and the scent of his cologne mingled with the floral fragrance of the flowers. Andrea felt more at peace here than she had even outside in the winter wonderland.
He held her for a few moments, his warm breath on her cheek. Andrea glanced up, biting her bottom lip. His mouth was so close. What would happen if she tilted her head up for a kiss?
“You... still need to get ready to go, don’t you?” Case asked, his question breaking the spell.
Andrea took a large step away from him, and he let her go. “Yeah, yea. I do.” She smiled at him. “Thanks again, Case. For everything.”
“Thank you... for being you.”
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