Invisible

Chapter 14 Life In Danger

People think that once summer is over our jobs at the greenhouse slow down, they are wrong. Winter brings new challenges, we host several gardening classes and several winter varieties of flowers need to be cultivated.

I hate getting stuck in the greenhouse all winter but at least it's warm.

I also hate seeing Tori every day. The whole long distance relationship is already getting old for her. I'm pretty sure she's still seeing other guys, but she is being more discreet with the press hounding her and all.

Yet the mention of Hunter and I texting; an honest slip of the tongue talking to Al one day during our lunch break; drives her insane. She's back to treating me like garbage.

The last Saturday of November has Tori and I scheduled to close at 5. Normally I don't work on Saturday but Bill called me and begged, I finally gave in, it's not like I have anything else going on.

It's quiet all afternoon, barely any customers. The only sound created is by Tori and I working, we don't talk.

Until she drops a tray of seeds and they go sprawling across the floor. I hurry to her side, helping to clean up the mess.

She sits back on the dirt and, without warning, bursts into tears.

I stare, shocked. I don't know what to do. Tori never acts anything but mean and here she sits in front of me crying, moisture dripping down her cheeks and hands clutching the sides of her head.

She notices me staring and her expression changes a bit to give me a cold glare. "What?!"

"I'm sorry." I fall to work collecting the seeds.

"Do you love him?" She hiccups through her sobs.

I look at her, 'what is she talking about?'

"Jacob?" I ask, how would she know about him?

"What? No Hunter."

I look down, shocked by the question and unsure of what to say. "I... uh... don't believe in love." I scoop up another handful of dirt to sift the seeds out.

"What?"

"No, no I don't." I sit back and look at her trying to figure out what in the world is going on. "Why would you even ask?"

"Because whenever I talk to him he talks about you, I even started to ignore him because I can't bear to hear him say your name."

So that's what's been going on! But he's talking about me? He has Tori, why would he even think about me when he can be with her. Why won't he just leave me alone?

"Who's Jacob?" Tori sniffs, interrupting my thoughts.

I shrug and sweep my fingers over the ground to check for more seeds. "Just a guy."

"No, there's more to it than that." Her eyes stare penetratingly at me.

"A guy... I almost married." I stand with the tray clutched tightly in my hands.

"What happened?" She stands and reaches for the tray.

I'm about to tell her to butt out when the door to the greenhouse opens and a customer walks in.

Tori brushes her hair back turns, other than the smallest traces of red around her eyes and nose she looks fine, like she wasn't even crying.

"Hello sir, and what can I help you with today?" She calls across the way, moving towards him.

I notice right away that this guy doesn't look normal, something is off. The hair on the back of my neck rises.

"Uh Tori." I gesture to her as she turns back to me. "Can I see you in the back for a second?"