How To Build A Flower Shop

Chapter THIRTY SIX

Bobbi is extremely proud of him and seeing him passionate about something makes her feelings run deeper and grow stronger. Her heart just wants to burst with this warm and jovial feeling. It's like floating on air and sliding down rainbows. In Jamelia's room, thinking about him yet again, she misses him and wishes for him to be here. Everything is better when she's with him, she doesn't exactly know what "everything" is, but it's better. She is enjoying her time with her friend and doing homework together, but she wants him beside her.

'Bobbi, you're doing it again.' Jamelia's monotone voice snaps her out of her daze. Putting the textbook flat on her chest, the page marked with her thumb, Bobbi glances down at her to see a humorous shine in Jamelia's dark blue eyes vanish. Replacing it is a serious expression, her eyes staring into Bobbi's. 'I gotta ask you something.'

She brings the textbook above her face again, reading the last line on the page. 'Go ahead.' Odd that Jamelia became earnest, the skin on her forehead creases as she pulls her brows together, but maybe it has something to do with Bruce.

'Do you like Roberto?'

Or not.

Luckily the textbook hides her face from Jamelia. Her eyes widen at the moment her heart drops to her stomach -she feels it- but she keeps it cool by leaving her book hovering over her reddened face.

''Course I do. He's a good person,' she says in her best nonchalant and mellow voice. Turns the page of her textbook, puzzled about Jamelia's question. Where could she be going with this?

'No, Bobbi. That's not how I meant it and you know it. Do you like-like him?'

'No. Don't be ridiculous. Why are you asking me such a silly question?'

'I'm just wondering.'

Bobbi furrows her eyebrows. 'Well, I don't know why you're wondering, but stop; it's weird.' Shuns her idea of it, her voice strong and convincing – the total opposite of how she's feeling inside but she pushes it away and acts cool.

Yet, Jamelia doesn't stop there. 'Do you think Roberto likes you?'

The textbook above her face falls down on her stomach and a short yelp releases from her lips. She stares at her friend with incredulity. 'What!? No! What are you talking about? Why are you asking weird questions? I thought you believed guys and girls can be just friends.'

'I do, but I really am just wondering.' However there's suspicion in her eyes that Bobbi doesn't see as she reads the chapter in the book. A couple of seconds pass, and then, 'It's good that you don't like Roberto romantically.'

Her eyebrows are deeply furrowed, confounded as to why Jamelia brought it up and wonders what's whirling around in her mind. Makes her wonder if she made anything obvious but she's sure she didn't. Hides her feelings pretty well, so she believes, but Jamelia is her best friend. It's a blow to her stomach that Jamelia thinks it's good she doesn't like Roberto as she wouldn't want her to be against it if she knew; but then again it's not a surprise to her Jamelia would disapprove. It's something she knew all along, which is another reason why she kept her feelings to herself. Another thing added to her reasons why she's holding back. It saddens her that she has these unignorably and amazing feelings for someone yet a lot of things around her tell her she can't and shouldn't. She knows it in her heart she shouldn't... Plus, it's not something she thought to be inevitable to happen. If anything, she thought she'd still be in a happy relationship with Nick and she and Roberto would be friends. Not the close friends they are currently, but friends.

And we are friends only, so suck it up and accept that, she scolds herself. Maybe Jamelia is onto her, they've been extremely close friends for so many years, but to be safe she continues to act confused in front of her, who brought up a question that stabs at her heart: Do you think Roberto likes you? Of course he doesn't. She lets the fact sink in, taking a deep breath, and puts the textbook down beside her on the bed.