The Awakening of Gardenia

chapter seven

My eyebrows furrowed whilst his smile grew. "You have much to learn," was all he said.

My curiosity didn't stop there. "Your responses are always cryptic."

He looked at me waiting for me to continue and when I didn't, he blew out a breath. "It's so I don't show you all my cards," he said reluctantly.

"Do you ever show me any?" I quipped.

"Maybe." His responses only made me more exasperated.

"Then how do you expect me to trust you?" I asked and when I got no reply I decided to give up on trying to get answers from him, at least for now.

It became eerily silent but I wasn't going to be the one to break the silence. He was the one who asked me to meet him here. And I still didn't know why.

Finally, after what felt like years, he decided to speak. He chose his words carefully. "When you think of the color blue, what comes to mind?"

The question took me off guard and so did the look in his eyes. The sincerity, the need to know. I answered quickly, "The ocean."

He rolled his eyes, as if the answer I gave him was absurd. "Is there a specific ocean?" He took a second to think, "Or maybe you're lying and that's not the first thing you think of." He raised an eyebrow, challenging me.

I rolled my eyes and blew out a harsh breath. Crossing my arms I admitted the truth, "There's this place my mom took me when I was younger. Before she remarried, it was only us. We spent so much time together but usually she would take me to this enchanted bay. The only flowers that grew there were blue rockets."

He took a second to grasp my sander before he responded. "Can you take me there?"

He said it with so much authority, I almost felt compelled too. "I'm sorry but no. Those places have special memories, that I'm not tainting by bringing you there."

He held his hands up innocently. "I wouldn't do anything. You promised to help me and this is what will help me."

"By bringing you to one of my most sacred places?" I ask with furrowed brows, trying to understand what game he was playing.

"Yes." He said nothing more.

I tossed around the idea in my head. What harm would happen? It's away from everything and everyone so we wouldn't get caught. Plus I hadn't been there in ages and I'd never felt comfortable going by myself.

I just didn't want to fall into a trap. What would he be getting out of this? What was his final goal.

"Okay."

"Okay?" He echoed, sounding unconvinced.

"Yes, okay. But whatever information you have better be good. And I still want one request."

"Do you know the request you want?"

"Yes." I spoke with authority and confidence.