Downfall

Chapter 12

Don't kill me...

~~~

“Hey Cassie, it’s nice to see you.”

I looked over at Cassie and saw her lips twisted in a snarl that she quickly covered to a professional smile. “I wish the feeling was mutual.” She said under her breath as she walked to a table behind her to set down her binders.

I tried to make eye contact with Jake but he was purposefully averting his gaze to something that was apparently extremely interesting on the ground.

Cassie cleared her throat and walked over towards me, though you could tell her attention was still on Jake, every few seconds or so her eyes would flicker back to him. “So, uhm, what can I help you with today?” She asked, keeping the tight lip smile plastered on her face.

The corners of my lips twitched up in amusement at the amount of tension in the room. “The flowers I called you about.”

Her eyebrows raised and her eyes widened as if she suddenly remembered the sole purpose for me visiting her little shop. “Right,” She pointed her fingers and slowly shook her small hand in the air in front of me, “So sorry about that.” As she shook her head she let her hair out of the loose braid so that her wavy hair was just below her breasts. “How unprofessional of me.”

I let out a small chuckle at what I assumed was a statement that I wasn’t supposed to hear. “So, if you don’t mind Miss Miller, can we see your selection?”

She nodded her head and turned around, quickly making her way back into the room she just came from.

I turned to Jake with a slight smirk on my face, “Mind explaining what that was all about?”

He looked up from the floor and looked just above me, still purposefully avoiding eye contact, “I’d rather not.”

I nodded my head respecting his privacy, “It better not interfere with this event.”

His hand came up to his jaw as he rubbed it, shaking his head while he muttered incoherently.

Something on the floor caught my eye and I looked down to see the forgotten dandelion that Jake and I wee messing with earlier. I knelt down and picked up the small flower, twirling it in my fingers as I stood back up.

I glanced from the plant to Jake’s face. Just minutes earlier the lips that were turned up into a smile were now in a hard line. The creases that were around the corners of his eyes were now replaced with wrinkles between his brows as he scrunched them together.

Jake brought his hand up to his head and ran his fingers through his blonde locks as he let out an exasperated sigh.

I wanted to ask him more about it, more about whatever it was that was causing his extreme mood shift, But, I knew that if I asked him he would just brush it off with a smirk on his face. “Hey Jake?” I asked attempting to change the subject.

He glanced up at me, “Yes?”

“Who were you thinking of?”

The corners of his mouth twitched and he let out another breath; he opened his mouth to reply and then quickly shut it, keeping that small smile on his face. He shifted his weight to his other leg and averted his gaze to something else in the room.

“You don’t have to tell me if you don’t feel comfortable.” I told him, sensing his discomfort.

He gave me an appreciative nod, “Thank you.”