Page 38 of Trusting His Heart

“Can I ask what I can expect for tomorrow?”

She watched as he opened his device, furrowed brow and flicked between applications.

“Technology issues?” she asked helpfully and hopefully.

“I’m sorry, Miss. The order for tomorrow was going to be for red roses but it was cancelled. There are no future orders.”

Bec closed her eyes, too embarrassed to meet his eyes as he quickly finished his coffee and left. The closed door mocked her, the finality of the visit, the finality of any hope for a life with Geoffrey. Order cancelled, hope cancelled, future with Geoffrey cancelled.

The beautiful soft pink roses were boxed on her counter and deserved water. Each perfect petal reminded her of each perfect kiss, the softness of his skin against hers.

Now the natives were also mocking her – they were refusing to die even though after a month of deliveries, she lacked the space for more bouquets. For a month she joked with the other women at work about her unit being invaded by flowers, enjoying their jealousy as they recounted the last time they received any.

Bec shook herself and poured the cold coffee down the sink and gave the pot of violets some water. She couldn’t let them die.

She couldn’t watch Geoffrey die.

Time to get over herself and get ready for work, she got into the shower, trying to wash away all the negative thoughts, instead the water flowed with the tears now running unabated down her cheeks.

She loved Geoffrey. She loved how she could read his face, and know his thoughts even before he did. She loved his low, husky laugh – especially when he laughed at himself. Outside academia, he didn’t take himself seriously at all. Once she got to know him, she found his vulnerability endearing. He was intelligent, well read and the perfect companion over dinner, with friends or clients from any industry.

In bed, he was everything she could ever ask for or demand – one minute a kind and considerate lover then turn into an exciting animal who had her screaming for more.

He was everything she wanted in a man, a partner, in her life.

Over the past month, he tried everything to show her he cared, only now to give up.

Her phone rang, “Derek, yes, yes, I understand, no problems.” The world united against her. A mining client cancelled a video conference call and wanted her in Brisbane by mid afternoon. Instead of mooning over her lost love for the day, she would be stuck in a plane.

Could this be an opportunity?

“Layla, it’s Bec. Thank you for arranging the floral deliveries.”

“Hi, Bec, it is good to hear from you.”

“Layla, I don’t know how to approach Geoffrey – I need your help. Does he have classes today?”

“He is in class at the moment, then he doesn’t have another until next week.”

“And his treatments? How is he going?”

“He finished a round of radiation last week and doesn’t go back for a couple of weeks. Bec, you should be talking to him about this, not me.”

“Layla, you know him better than anyone. Have I become a challenge for him, something to focus on other than the cancer or does he want something more?”

“Bec, sweetheart, I don’t know what is going on inside his head or heart at the moment, but what I can tell you is according to any and all of his friends, they never saw him happier than when you two were together. Breaking up with you almost destroyed him. I know that if you hadn’t gone with him to the doctor, he intended to refuse treatment and let the cancer take its course. You made him want to fight. Right now, he has been fighting for you and fighting the cancer.”

“I’m scared.”

“To be perfectly blunt with you, he needs all his energy to be on fighting the cancer. If you don’t know what you want by now, then I’m asking you to tell me you don’t want to hear from him again and I will let him down easily.”

“I need you to do something different. I need him to be on QX673 to Brisbane in two hours. I don’t care what excuse you give him. I’ll send you the ticket with preapproved seating. Can you do that for me?”

“How long will he be gone? He won’t have any clothes packed.”

“He won’t need any.”

“Package delivered,” Bec read the cryptic text from Layla as she completed the security check. Of course, the business woman in the suit would be picked for the random drug check – not the group of young men who appeared to be on an end of season boys weekend.