Flower Boy

✿ Thirteen ✿

I cautiously walked to the door, my heart racing. I looked through the peephole and internally sighed in relief at seeing Preston's familiar face staring back. I twisted the lock to unlock the door and opened it. Preston stood there; a box of Chinese take-out in one hand and a bouquet of flowers in the other.

"Hello!" I heard him greet, but I was sort of too in shock to really grasp the situation. I nodded and smiled hesitantly. I was beginning to panic because Mat would hate me if he found out Preston was here. "I'm sorry for not coming into the flower shop earlier, but I was listening to a lecture. I called the shop and Brayden answered," He smiled softly. "I told him my plan and he sent you home early so I could pick these up," He held out the flowers to me. I felt warmth flood my body as I carefully took the bouquet in my hands. It was beautiful. I knew it was made by Brayden, the bundle showed his 'style' clearly. An organized mess is what he called his bouquets.

"Oh, thank you so much. I wasn't– I don't have anything in return," I stumbled over my words, my face flushed from embarrassment and another feeling that I couldn't put my finger on.

"Rob, it's okay. Don't worry about it," He assured me in a tone that soothed most of my previous nerves.

I took a deep breath and stepped back from the door, waving the sweet brunette into Mat's house.

"Wow," He breathed. "This is really clean. It makes me feel bad about how utterly messy my room is," He laughed. I smiled, leading him to the kitchen where my baking awaited.

"Make yourself at home," I welcomed him with a hand gesture. He placed the food on the table and asked where I kept the utensils. I pointed to a drawer and he was quick to retrieve them. We sat down across from each other and I anxiously looked at the food in the take out box. There was a lot of it and Preston kept glancing at me. I think he knew I was nervous about eating it. I felt a gentle kick from beneath the table and my eyes shot up to look at him.

"Eat whatever you want, if that means you're not going to eat any of it than so be it," He said and then went back to scarfing down the rice and noodles before him. I felt my heartbeat gradually slow down a bit. I swallowed hard.

"I don't know whether to be scared or grateful that you can read me so well," I tried to joke.

"Side effect of studying behaviour and psychology," He laughed lightly. I wasn't about to lie and say that didn't boost my confidence a little bit. Conversation came easy after that, flowing like we'd known each other for years rather than the two or so months.

"Hey, I am also really sorry for interrupting your baking," Preston blurted in a moment of silence. I shook my head with a smile on my face.

"Don't worry about it."

"Rob?" He said suddenly with a sense of panic or something in his voice.

"Yeah?" I hesitated, feeling a subtle stir of butterflies.

"Does your b–" He cut himself off and cleared his throat. "What were you baking?" He covered up. I wasn't sure whether or not to ask what he was going to say.

"Cookies."

"Ah, that's cool. Cookies are nice," He grinned and then asked, "Also, where's the bathroom?"

I directed him to the toilet and returned to the kitchen. I put my hands over my face and sighed, curiosity eating away at me. What the hell was Preston going to say? It was probably something about me. Like how bad I am and how dirty the house is and how gross I am– I'm an awful human being. He was just pointing that out.

Another part of me was thinking that Preston would never say anything to intentionally hurt me. But that didn't stop the thoughts. I decided to grab a glass of water and wait in the living room for Preston to come back. I closed my eyes and tried to stop the mass of thoughts that swarmed my mind. Before I knew it, the couch dipped beside me. My eyes shot open and I stared at Preston who had seated himself rather closely next to me.