Learning A Lake ✔

- Twenty-Four -

♢ Ryan ♢

"Would you like it gift wrapped?" The assistant at the store asked me.
"Yes please." I said.

I was currently stood in Tiffany&Co. getting Laura her birthday present. Thankfully the shop was only a twenty-minute walk from camp into the town and it was nice to get out and about. 

The thin, blonde assistant carefully wrapped up the necklace with a dragonfly charm that I had chosen for her, and placed it into a box before sealing it with a purple ribbon. Which I knew was her favourite colour. Even though I was clearly buying the necklace for Laura, the assistant was trying her best to get my attention, which failed of course. Between every word she said, there would be a light giggle and a flutter of her eyelashes. Mentally rolling my eyes, I waited for her to finish putting the necklace in small gift bag. 

I paid for the necklace, thanking the assistant, trying to not give her any hope that I would actually flirt back with her. 

After grabbing a coffee from a small but rather busy Starbucks, I made my way to the nearest florist, which I got directions to from the barista. I had never actually bought flowers for a girl that I liked before so I had no idea what I was doing. 

When I was back home, I went to our local florist every other week and bought the same bouquet of flowers before taking the short walk to the cemetery. Lacey loved orange tulips so I knew exactly what I was getting.

I greeted the lady in the store with an awkward laugh.
"Um, I need to get some flowers." I said hesitantly, looking around the shop for something she might like. 
"Oh boy, I can help you with that. Who are they for, your girlfriend?" She gave me a warm smile and came out from behind the counter to give me a hand.
"Well, no she's not my girlfriend, I would like her to be. It's her birthday today and I wanted to get her something nice, something purple."

"That's no problem, I can help you out. Are you here on holiday, your British accent is awesome." She began to show me some different flowers which I wasn't too sure on. 

"Thank you. Well sort of, I'm at Tabara for the summer."
"Ah, I went to that summer camp when I was a little girl, the lake there is gorgeous." She smiled to herself. 

"Yeah, its my first and last year there." She continued to show me some flowers when a ready-made bunch caught my eye from the other side of the room.

"I would like these ones please." I asked, pointing at them. They were perfect. I could tell there was some white roses but I couldn't tell what the other flowers were.
"Yes. That bouquet is ready made to be collected later. I can make you a duplicate if you like?"

"Please. What are the other flowers in it, I know there is roses..."
"Along with the roses there is some Lavender Lisianthus', Ivory Hypericums and some Eucalyptus Parvi's." She explained to me.
"I have no idea what any of those are but they will be perfect, she will love them." I said with a small laugh. "Thank you."

The lady wrapped them up in white and purple paper and placed them in a flower box to keep safe. Before I left the lady caught my attention one last time. "She's a lucky girl to have you, don't let her go." She spoke with a final smile, eyeing the Tiffany & Co. bag in my other hand. 

"I don't plan to. Thank you again." I smiled back at her and left the shop.

I topped off the trip to the town by buying a box of chocolates for Laura to go with her other gifts. I know it was soppy as fuck but I wanted to spoil her on her birthday.

---

I arrived back at camp and placed all of her presents in the cabin for later on. All of the girls who were in their final year for camp got to go on a spa day today at the leisure resort just down the road. It gave me a good opportunity to get ready for her party later. We had planned to have a small gathering by the side of the lake for the evening.

Harley walked up to me as I was leaving my cabin to find the guys.
"Ryan, your mom called on the camp phone in Rhi's office. She said it's important." I mentally sighed at the thought of having to speak to my mother on the phone.
"Um, okay. Do I just need to go and call her back then?"
"If you wouldn't mind, she kept calling while you were off campus." Harley spoke with irritation in his tone. 

I nodded and walked towards Rhi's office.

The phone barely rang once before my mother answered the phone.
"Ryan, honey, how are you?" She asked almost too quickly.
"I'm fine." I replied bluntly. "Why are you trying to get hold of me so urgently?"
"Your girlfriend, well, now ex-girlfriend came over today. She was terribly upset. She's such a lovely girl, Jane, her name was."
"Mum, she was never my gi-"
"How could you cheat on such a nice girl like that, she is really hurt. I thought you were better than that Ryan."
"You don't know what you're talking about. She's lying to you." I groaned with frustration, rubbing one hand down my face. My mother was falling for Jane's bullshit. I can't believe she would go to my parents and put on a show to get their attention. It just made them dislike me even more. She was basically sprinkling salt on an already open wound. 
"How dare you accuse her of lying. She broke down in front of us and told us how long you had been together and how much she liked you. You never told us about her."

I knew at this point my mother was not going to shut up.
"That's because she was never my girlfriend. If you knew the real story you wouldn't let her into our house. Do you have anything productive to say to me, because if not, this conversation is over."

I waited for what seemed like ages before she spoke again. 
"Oh Ryan, I'll be having serious words with you when you get home!" She was becoming angry and her voice was raised. 

"Nothing you say will hurt me anymore. The damage was done nine months ago." I spat down the phone, hinting to my mother about my sisters death. 

I didn't let her get another word in before I hung up in frustration, slamming the phone back down and letting out a small roar of anger, which I hoped nobody could hear. 

Talk about put me in a shit mood. I don't know how I was going to explain this to Laura. I wouldn't ruin her birthday by moaning about my pain in the ass mother. 

Instead of focusing on the recent phone call, I put together a small plan in my head of what we would do for Laura's birthday surprise. I was super excited to give her the necklace. Although it was expensive, money wasn't an object to me. The necklace had meaning, but it was beyond me expressing my attraction for her. It was a reminder of how strong she is, overcoming things and staying happy when she ought to be breaking down. Somehow she held herself together and I admired her for it. 

She had not only been strong for herself, she had been strong for me. She is with out a doubt the most understanding person I have ever met and I am in no position to let her slip away from me.

I'd never felt like this before and at first I wasn't sure what it was. But now, I'm surer than sure can be. 

I think, I might just be in love with her.