Flower Boy

✿ Fourteen ✿

During the next few days, my friendship with Preston blossomed. We hung out every night. Tonight, we were going to a coffee shop. I was extremely excited, but incredibly nervous. One of my biggest fears was not having enough money when I would go to pay. It was stupid. I had well over a thousand dollars in my primary bank account and I knew that one cup of coffee was not going to cost over a thousand dollars– but my mind wouldn't let me forget all the possibilities or the potential of me not being able to pay.

I tried my best to forget about it when the doorbell rang, signalling Preston was there to pick me up. I brushed my hands across my shirt and tossed on a light coat, taking a deep breath before opening the door with a smile. Stood there was Preston, an umbrella over his head. I hadn't noticed the slight drizzle until now. He grinned.

"Rob! Let's go, I think it's going to start raining cats and dogs," He greeted, gesturing to the dark grey sky. I stepped outside and was surprised to not feel any rain fall onto me. I glanced upwards and saw the umbrella. Preston was holding the umbrella for me.

I stayed silent, a small smile seemed to be permanently stuck on my face. I got into his car. A side note, he opened and closed the door for me. I felt exceptionally special. There was some chill indie music playing already and Preston got in, pulling away from Mat's house.

"How was your morning?" He asked, glancing at me with a goofy grin.

I playfully shoved his shoulder.

"Keep your eyes on the road!" I exclaimed and then after a pause, "My morning was nice, thank you. How was yours?"

"I'm just going to say, it got a lot better after seeing you," He cheekily smirked. I blushed, hitting his shoulder once more. We sat in relative silence until we reached the coffee shop. "Second Cup", a place I only visited in my dreams. Mat doesn't approve of buying coffee and whatnot because he doesn't know what they put in it. I was excited for this.

When we got there, we ran indoors to avoid getting totally drenched. Preston didn't want to bring in water using an umbrella. I appreciated his consideration for the shop. I knew what it was like when people dragged in the rain and mud inside your workplace. It wasn't exactly pleasant to clean.

We went to the counter and waited in line. I wrung my hands together, looking at the menu.

"What are you going to get?" Preston asked, pointing to where I was looking.

"I'm not sure, what about you?"

"Probably the usual– a vanilla latte."

I waited in line, bouncing on the balls of my feet. I was anxious about ordering, but I pushed it away. I felt a strange confidence rush through my veins. I wasn't sure what it was, but I wasn't complaining.

"What can I get for you, sir?" The barista smiled at me. He had a blonde quiff that was styled to perfection and dazzling blue eyes. In short, he was gorgeous.

"What do you recommend?" I replied– sounding as smooth as an awkward guy like me could sound. I celebrated internally that I didn't stutter or anything.

He answered with a drink who's name I already forgot and I smiled and responded with, "That sounds great."

He winked and said, "Sure thing, sweetheart," then went to make the drink. I turned to look at Preston to see where he was. He was waiting off to the side for his drink with a pout instead of his usual smile. His eyebrows were furrowed slightly and it almost looked like he was glaring at someone behind the counter. I shrugged and paid for my drink without any problems. It felt like a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

I joined Preston in the waiting place and shot him a question glance.

"Did you notice what he was doing?" He mumbled, his face heating up.

"W-What?" I stuttered out, thinking back a few moments. I shook my head as I came up with nothing out of the ordinary.

"Never mind," He seemed to be in less of a 'mood'. He reached up and ruffled my hair, shaking his head with a chuckle. "You're so kind, Rob."

I cocked my head to the side and felt my neck and face get hot. "O-Oh, thank you, but–"

"No buts, you are," He cut me up. I knew my face was a dark shade of red by this point. I was saved by the bell as our drinks arrived at that moment. Preston took both in his hands and we sat at a table close to the back of the shop. When the brunette handed me my drink back, I thanked him softly.

"Hey Preston, have you heard of the band The Lumineers?" I asked, thinking back to the genre of music he had playing in the car.

"The Lumineers? I can't save I have," He replied smoothly. I smiled.

"They're a really cool band that reminded me of the music you were listening to in the car."

"Sick! I'll play them on our way back. Do you have your phone Bluetooth connected to your car? It's the way of the future," He rambled happily and I enjoyed listening to it very much. He stopped his talking eventually and we sat quietly, sipping our drinks. I paid attention to the small details of the coffee shop. The song playing above like a soundtrack to a movie. Others around me, I could see their mouths moving in conversation, but couldn't hear their words. The muted patter of rain against the roof. I closed my eyes.

"Rob, I don't want to ruin this moment, but I have a question," He sounded hesitant.

"Ask away," I tried not to feel incredibly nervous, but my palms felt sweaty against the mug of my drink.

"Your boyfriend..." He trailed. I froze. He wasn't supposed to know about Mat. Mat was my secret. Then he quickly rushed out, "He's probably a sensitive topic, but I need to bring him up. I'm sorry, Rob."

I was at a loss of words.

"He's not a sensitive topic," I breathed out, my heart rate felt as if it was skyrocketing.

"It's probably not my place to say anything, but I'm afraid no one will ask about this until it's–" He paused and cleared his throat, "Until it's too late."

"Too late? What are you talking about?" But deep down I knew what he meant. I glanced down to the fading bruises that scattered my body. Most were covered by my shirt, but there were still a few. I felt my mouth get dry.

"He abuses you, doesn't he?"

I felt horrific. Like a secret that wasn't meant to be said aloud was shouted to the world.

"What are you talking about? Mat loves me, he loves me," I panicked, but I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince.

"I don't like seeing you at work, avoiding certain tasks because you're in pain. He could love you until the ends of the world, but damn it he hurts you, Rob."

I stumbled out of my seat.

"Rob– no don't please, I'll take you home if you want. I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, I shouldn't have said anything," He exclaimed getting up and following my quick pace to the door of the shop.

I turned to face him and it pained my heart. He looked like a sad puppy. I opened my mouth to say something, but no words came out. I opened the door and heard the small bell ring above me. I walked quickly through the rain, feeling my hair stick to my face unpleasantly. My clothes next. And when Mat's house came into view, I was drenched.

From my tears and from the rain.

And God, what have I just done?

///
damn sam back at it again with another update
(pls i am lame)
anywaY this chapter hurt my heart wbu

B) tysm for reading you guys rock
aLSO GUESS WHO GOT 100% IN THEIR SCIENCE COURSE SO FAR NICE
u proud dad?