Chase's POV
Emma tried so hard to avoid me throughout the first day of the trip. She stayed as far as she could away from me at the museum.
Unfortunately, I was staying with Jessica too, cause we already booked the accommodation about three months before the trip.
Jessica was throwing herself at me as shamelessly and annoyingly as she could.
"Do you have more clothes?" I asked as she walked into the other room in my suite which was supposed to be mine.
"I do. But I'm dressing for the occasion." She replied, smiling very coyly
"What the fuck does that even mean?" I asked her.
I was quickly getting pissed. She could've been more covered in a bikini.
All Jessica had on was a thong and socks.
"Chase, do act like you don't see what I'm trying to do." She said.
"I don't! Please tell me what it is" I yelled at her. She was taken aback, but not for long.
"You apologized, for, you know, the stupid shit you pulled by slapping me in the public. Let's just say this is me forgiving you." She said,
I thought of how I ever thought she was a smart person, smart enough to have spent most of my teen years around.
"That's a way to put it. And I'm truly sorry for it." I started. "But if this is what your forgiveness means, then I don't want." I stated very clearly to her.
"You don't mean that. Now come here before it gets any weirder." She replied to me.
"I don't think you get me." I got up, shut my laptop close, grabbed my phones, keys and wallet and left the room for her.
Thankfully, she didn't try to stop me, or I'd have gotten arrested for battering a woman.
I went out of the hotel to clear my head. It was against school policy, but I was a renowned rule breaker.
Outside were a lot of shops with flowers and all sorts of gift items.
A lot of men were at the flower section, asking each other for advice.
I felt something deeper by just watching them pick out flowers, intentionally, for people they loved.
I had no one in my life to do that for.
I lost my mom when I was twelve. Ever since then, it's been one woman after another for my father. He never really wanted any of them though, they just warmed his bed.
Until Emma's mom…
I decided to keep my suspicions to myself, and also not let it ruin my trip.
Like one under spell, I walked into the store.
There were flowers I had never seen in my life.
I moved closer to the guys who seemed to be a lot more chatty and pretended to pick out flowers while listening to them.
"She's has blue nails on, I think she'd love the flowers white. It would also complement the gold ring." The first man, who had black wavy curls and a British accent said.
"Man. I'm so gassed up for you. You know, you and Ronda really inspire us. I'm thinking of asking Maggy too." His friend replied.
Being among them made me feel…i can't explain.
I just wished I could relate.
I was more of a lover boy than I let out. For the longest time, I'd been yearning for a more meaningful female relationship than what I had with Jessica. A safe space, something beautiful.
"Hey, young man." The man who was picking out flowers said, smiling.
"Uh, hi. Sorry, I enjoyed hearing every bit of what I overheard. And congratulations man." I smiled, offering my hands for a shake.
"That's no problem. I could talk about it all day, but I've got a proposal to plan." He replied, smiling and taking my hand.
"I'd have loved to talk to you guys, but I'll let you go." He seemed really pumped about his engagement, and I didn't want to be a killjoy.
"You think we can spare the young man a few minutes, Fred?" His friend asked. "Our reservation isn't until ten tonight." It was about three hours from his proposal.
"Alright, young man. Let's have a seat." We sat down in the flower shop.
It had a very nice ambience. It was an open door shop and so it was well out. With leaves and flowers hanging from the thatched ceiling, it felt like where I wanted to be, but with someone else.
"So what's up? You're here on vacation? By yourself?" Fred asked me.
"Yes and no. It's actually a school trip, I'm just trying to make the best out of it." I replied.
"By sneaking out?" His friend asked.
"Well, you call it that. I call it taking a breather." I responded to him.
"A breather from what exactly? Isn't the whole trip a breather? You need a breather from a breather?" Fred asked, laughing and looking confused.
"Yeah. I booked a suite with a girl, and now I'm regretting it." I explained to them.
They both burst into laughter, and did a very poor job of hiding it.
"I know it sounds funny. But a girl throwing herself at me while my mind is on another isn't exactly humorous." I was a little bit pissed at how they saw me.
"Yeah, and so does booking a suite with her." Fred's friend, Larry replied. "What were you thinking?"
"Well, we were cool at the time." I replied to him. "She was my friend."
"'Friend', you say?" Fred said, with air quotes.
"Well that part is complicated. You know what guys? I actually shouldn't have delayed you. You should be on your way. You have a proposal to plan." I said, faking excitement.
"While that is true, I think there's something I ought to tell you. Cause if you and the girl on your mind end up together, that takes one woman off Ronda's list of about four billion women I could be having sex with." He said, with a sad smile.
"You mean you cheat on her?" I asked him, shocked. He was talking like they had the perfect relationship.
"Cheated." He corrected, not looking too proud. "I put her through an awful lot, and I'm ready to spend the rest of my life fixing the mistakes of my stupid old self." He added.
"Oh." I said. No man is so perfect after all.