Chapter 128 128. Flowery Words
Tabitha’s POV
We sit on the bench near the window while the bouquets are prepared. Jace shifts beside me and I notice the strange tension in his expression. I sense it in all of them as well, as if something almost melancholic is tugging at the back of their minds, far removed from the vibrant colors of the flowers being arranged in front of us. I wonder if the heavy mix of scents filling the shop is starting to wear on them.
I am about to ask until finally, Jace takes a careful breath and looks at me.
“Look…” he starts with a strained voice as if he is forcing the next words out of his throat. “I know we never really talked about this, but we are really sorry about what happened to your mom.”
I am taken aback by that. For a moment, I wonder if I had misheard him.
“W-What could you all possibly be sorry for? It’s not like any of it was your fault.”
Jace sighs.
“I know this might seem weird coming from me—from us. We didn’t start on good terms after all, and we’re barely a properly-functioning family most days. But what happened to your mom… it was unfortunate.”
It’s my time to sigh.
“It was a shock,” I admit. “I didn’t even know she was pregnant. Finding out and losing it all at once felt like the ground gave way under her.”
I shake my head as I remember the pain in my mother’s eyes when she talked about the miscarriage, even after her raging obsession to avenge my father’s death and how she claimed that she did all this—the marriage and the mask of a caring wife and stepmother for the sake of her plan—there’s something about what she lost that left a lingering pain in her eyes.
“We know it wasn’t something anyone could control. That doesn’t make it hurt less. We’re sorry that you and your mom have to experience this, especially under the roof of the Aldair name,” Evren says.
He’s always been the serious type but right now, his eyes are not indifferent; they’re somber.
“Do you think it’s weird? The child that my mom lost was supposed to be our half sibling.” I let out a humorless laugh. “And I know it’s not our fault for failing to protect someone who has not even been born yet, much more someone we were unaware of at that time. But sometimes I wonder if… If I could’ve done something for my mom and the child she lost.” It’s almost at the tip of my tongue to blurt out the thing about her revenge and how it might have cost her this loss, but I hold myself back.
Luca, who is sitting beside me, snakes an arm behind my back and gently strokes it.
“Sweetheart, it’s normal to dwell on the what ifs, because whether we are humans or werewolves, we all have a tendency to look back and wonder.” With his other hand, he gently brushes the corner of my eye, catching the tears before they can fall. “But as much as guilt is something that we can’t totally get rid of. It’s also not something we allow to consume us.”
His words resonate with me more than I would like to admit, and the way his warm hazel eyes rest on me makes me feel as though I am the only person he sees. I look around and realize that the other three are doing the same. Evren’s blue eyes settle on me like the sky on a bright day. The usual ferocity in Reed’s gaze has softened into something gentle and unguarded. And Jace looks at me with quiet understanding, as if he knows the weight I carry and is willing to share it.
I smile. “Have you ever thought about switching careers and becoming a poet?”
Luca snickers. “I don’t know. If I do, will that put another smile on your face?”
I laugh and shake my head. “You’re such a flirt, even at a time like this.”
“Can’t say I’m sorry.” He pinches my cheek which makes me gasp. “Kidding aside, your mom is a strong woman—that I commend her for,” Luca says.
“Now, we understand where you got all that spunk,” Reed adds.
I hum. “She is strong.”
How is she not? She’s so strong and determined that she raised me all by herself despite the unbearable pain of losing her mate. A true she-wolf, really. If only her heart is not filled with too much hatred right now.
Before I can add anything more, the florists inform us that the bouquets are ready. My jaw drops at the sight of them. One of the bouquets is smaller, simple but elegant, wrapped neatly with care. The other is enormous, overflowing with vibrant blooms in every shade I love, almost bursting from the wrapping. I can’t stop staring.
“Holy… shit. That is…” I trail off as I marvel at the gorgeous bouquets in front of me.
Jace notices my wide-eyed expression and smiles. “Do you like it?”
Without a second thought, I pull the larger bouquet close and hug it to my chest.
“Yes,” I whisper, my voice muffled against the flowers. I look up at them, my eyes bright. “Thank you… really, thank you.”
For a moment, the four of them look momentarily dazed as they watch me bury my face in the bouquet. That makes me stop for a moment, puzzled, as I shyly purse my lips.
“What?” I demand, feeling a bit self-conscious now.
Reed shakes his head as if he’s trying to snap himself out of a trance.
“Damn it, princess. If we weren’t in front of these people, I would have kissed you right now,” I hear him speak through the mindlink.
“Me too,” Jace chimes in.