Flowers and Darkness

Chapter 3

I took the growing hydrangea plant from the small clay pot and planted it into the soil. My knees were dark and muddy and my gardening gloves were less emerald green and more brown by this point. The beaming sun was high in the sky and my forehead was glistening from sweat. I'd been at this all morning. My phone lost in my bedroom somewhere. Just me and the garden.

My mother hated gardening and as a young girl all I ever thought was "the flowers are dying". I guess that mentality just stuck with me and here behold all these years later, gardening has becoming my release. It calmed me when I was stressed.

I heard heavy footsteps behind me and turned around, still on my knees clutching a pair of rearing scissors. It had been a few days and I hadn't spoken to anyone since what happened with Rose.

"Hey Vi, you haven't been answering my messages..."

"I don't want to talk to you."

"You left your side gate open."

I was silent.

"Look-" Jayden's arm was outstretched and before I knew it he had stumbled over and onto me. "Sorry."

I looked down and saw a large stray weed patch in his path that he'd managed to trip over.

"Where did that even come from?" He muttered under his breath, still loud enough for me to hear.

Under any normal circumstances I would have laughed, but I was just way too annoyed and upset. He stood up, before thinking better of it and crouching on my level. His pristine white t-shirt now had a brown stain on the side, he either didn't realise or didn't care.

"Rose told me what happened and-"

"So you and Rose seem to be close..." I raised an eyebrow up at him.

"We have a... complicated past. But that doesn't matter now-"

"Why doesn't that matter? What are you keeping from me Jay? What aren't you telling me?" With each question my voice got louder and louder. Me and Jayden had always had each other's backs. He'd always be there. For him to do that and leave me in this position made me doubt his trust altogether. "We went to a bar in god-knows where, to do god-knows what. All I know was that I was scared."

"I'm sorry Vi..." He murmured, eyes deep with apology and regret.

"How do you know Alex and Rose?" I said softly. I slipped off my gloves and grabbed his hands, squeezing sightly. "There's something not right with them. I need to know."

He looked away, his eyes focusing on a nearby potted plant I was about to move into the garden soil. I squeezed his hands harder, forcing him to look at me.

"What do you want me to say Vi? I'm sorry."

His face looked tense, so this was clearly bothering him more than he let on.

"Violet!" I looked up to see Ellie walking over in a blue striped pinafore and with a grin on her face. "We're going to a house party tonight."

I stood up, releasing Jayden hands and crossed my arms. "El...I'm really not-"

"I'm not taking no for an answer!" She pouted. "Come on Vi! Don't be boring. Please. Just think of all the eye candy. Besides, you're meant to be my wing woman!"

I gazed over at the side gate. "I really should've shut that side gate."

Ellie rolled her eyes and grabbed hold of both mine and Jayden's arm to drag us inside.

I fanned myself with my hand and leaned up against a wall in the corner of the room. There were curious eyes on me since I first stepped into the room a few hours ago. Clearly it was obvious I'm not a 'party regular'. I was wearing a very short, slinky and uncomfortable black dress that Ellie had forced me into. I pulled up the cleavage yet again and heard a laugh from beside me.