Circles - Post Malone

Sixty five

"Why are you here?"

Edward sighs heavily and puts down his book. "Dahlia for the tenth time. I have told you that we have a house in Italy. I have not visited it for a while and seeing as you are here I thought it was a good opportunity for me to come over," Edward says. "So it has absolutely nothing to do with you worrying about me and just wanting to hover?" Dahlia says. Edward frowns and shakes his head, "absolutely not, and frankly, I am appalled and offended that you would ever even suggest such a thing of me," Edward says then picks up his book and goes back to reading one of his shitty Shakespeare books. Dahlia had been in Italy for two weeks before Edward showed up.

Lorenzo is a sweet old man who loves everyone he meets, she hates him. But he is very talented behind a camera so she has been indulging in her learnings. She has not heard from anyone other than Edward who showed up out of the blue but that may be because she changed her number, and her email and took down all her social media. Her phone is just a chunk of metal at this point. She was enjoying the isolation and wallowing in self-pity on her own.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"My sweet Dahlia - you may ask me anything you like."

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. - What does that mean?"

"Well," Edward says putting his book down again, sitting up straight and looking at Dahlia, "to understand what it means you need to understand where it came from. It came from one of Shakespeare's most well-known plays. Romeo and Juliet.  Two people who fall in love, but have to keep their love a secret because destiny seems to have other plans for them. Why?"

"Someone once quoted it to me and I am trying to understand what he meant by it."

"Well, I suspect whoever quoted that to you was trying to suggest to you that a name itself has no worth or meaning on its own, it's the person attached to the name that carries meaning. Maybe you were too focused on the name and not the person. Or maybe the clues are in the names...bottom line - not everything is as it seems and you should fucking look harder."

"Don't Romeo and Juliet die in the end?"

"Yes. But it's just a metaphor. When we lose the one we truly love we die a little inside."

"That's fucking morbid."

"That's fucking life."

Later Dahlia makes her way to a grand hall with her collection of photography shit. She no longer has a single camera but rather a large bag that she has to pull around. William has given her at least four top-of-the-range camera's but she keeps Austin's camera with her too for sentimental reasons. She may have also hunted down the guitar Austin had sold to get her camera, and may or may not have it hidden under her bed. She knows it's weird and stalkerish but she knows how much it meant to him and she is just missing him so much so she will keep it for just a little while and then one day she will send it to him.

The hall is amazing and Lorenzo's task for her today was to take pictures of the stained glass windows, paintings, and walls of the great hall. It's a massive hall and will take her a good few days to get the pictures she wants. She can hear birds in the rafters and so she knows that she will be climbing up there eventually to attempt a picture or two. She is alone here and thankful for a moment to herself. With Edward around she never has a moment - she does not hate that though. She loves him, she is not scared of that emotion so much anymore. She will love anyone if they ask her to.

It takes all day but honestly besides almost dying when she slipped trying to climb up the rafters she can't really remember the day. Her brain has been on Austin. To be fair Austin is always on her mind. But today her head is clouded with questions. If he is in love with Gina why had he spent so much time focused on herself? Why had he gotten so jealous at her going on one simple date with another man but not bat an eye at the string of men Gina disappeared with? Harry had even landed up in Gina's bed and Austin had not said a word.

Come to think of it, it's also strange that he would insist on walking her to and from work when he could have used the same excuse to walk Gina around. When that lawyer started poking around Austin had stuck to her like glue, there was no denying that he really cared. He never did that with Gina. What about in his dark days? It was Dahlia he had turned to, not Gina. On his good days? Well, it was the same. On the day he finally got signed it was Dahlia's name he had been screaming, not Gina's yet they were in the same place. The way Austin had treated Dahlia would have anyone believing that he was in love with her. Maybe everyone has it wrong. Maybe 'Daisy' is not Gina. Maybe 'Daisy' is a completely different person. Maybe 'Daisy' is someone that Dahlia had not realized was even there? Dahlia squeezes her eyes shut and shakes her head. Fuck. So many 'what if's' making her brain numb. She should stop because this can't be healthy. Making shit up in her mind and letting herself have a tiny spark of hope is only going to end in even more tears for her.

She needs to find a way to forget Austin.

She sighs and packs up her stuff. It's enough for one day. She trudges home, stopping along the way to buy a bottle of wine and a bunch of flowers for Edward - because he is sweet and she likes to see him smile. It's not that she has gone all soft - but she has knocked down some of her walls. She thinks Austin would be pleased to hear that...she thinks.

"Ohh, are those for me?" Edward coo's as Dahlia walks in. "What's going on here? I leave my husband alone with you for five minutes and you are buying him flowers?" William says. "Aww come on! What the fuck are you doing here? I don't need a babysitter let alone two," Dahlia complains, sitting down next to him. "I am here for Edward, not you...besides looks like I made the right decision, I need to up my romance game. I will get you a bigger bunch of flowers tomorrow, Edward," William says.

Edward laughs and fills a vase with water. "I think you are good, love. I think these flowers are a bit of tongue in cheek from our dear Dahlia," he says. Dahlia frowns. "What? Why do you say that?" she asks. "Well because they are Dahlias," he says. Both William and Dahlia now frown. Edward sighs and rolls his eyes. "These flowers. The name of these flowers are Dahlias," he says. "Oh. Well, then they will die soon, wilt away into a sad pile of compost," Dahlia says, William sorts a laugh.

"Ok, now that's just a bit morbid. But no, Dahlias are a type of Daisy. They may look sweet and soft but they are tough as fuck. Very hardy flowers, they will be around for some time," Edward explains. Dahlia sits up straight at his words.

"What?"

"Oh, Dahlia, I am not repeating all that."

"No. I mean what were you saying about it being a Daisy?"

"Uhh, I  am not sure how to say it any different. But in a nutshell...a Dahlia is a Daisy."

"Oh fuck...oh fuck...what?...what?...oh fuck!" Dahlia says then stands and grabs one of the Dahlias from Edward's vase, ignoring his protests. "This is a Daisy? This is a Dahlia?" she asks no one in particular. "Are you ok?" William asks. "Shhhh, William, I have seen this before. She is having a breakdown or a breakthrough," Edward says. "Or she is on fucking drugs," William adds.

"I am Daisy. I am Daisy...holy fucking fuck! I am Daisy."

"You are Daisy?" William asks confused.

"Yes! I am Daisy!"

"You are Daisy? What?" Edward asks.

"What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet! I am fucking Daisy!"

"Oh shit! Dahlia! You are Daisy!" Edward screeches when he gets what she is saying.

"Yes! I am Daisy! It's me! It's always been me and it's always been him! Oh shit! I need to go. I need to get to LA!"

"Yes! Let's go!"

"What the fuck is going on? I don't fucking understand!" William complains but Edward grabs his arm and tugs him toward the bedroom to get their bags, "true love, William, true love!"