Unhinge - Calia Read Page 0,33

It was the first time we’d been alone in a while and I didn’t want the time to turn sour.

The backyard was nothing now, but I saw what it could be. In my mind I saw a brick path with flowers and neatly trimmed hedges lining it. The oak trees clustered at the very edge of the property would have patio chairs beneath them. But the best part was that it was in clear view of the cherry blossom tree. Right now it was in full bloom. The pale pink colors of the buds popped up in a sea of green. In the midst of a construction zone, it was a beautiful sight.

I couldn’t wait until the gardener arrived.

While I resented Wes for hardly participating in any of the house decisions, I happily jumped at the task of finding a gardener. There were many choices, but ultimately I settled on Renee Davery. Her business, Fairhaven, was a florist shop and landscaping business wrapped into one. Taylor once mentioned that Renee had the most beautiful floral arrangements.

Wes gently placed the flowerpot underneath the cherry tree. He dusted his hands off and stood up. “I have to go,” he said. “What are you doing today?”

“Probably work on the backyard with this Renee lady.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” I repeated.

“All right. Love you.” He gave me an absentminded kiss on the cheek. Gone were the days where one goodbye kiss turned into two, then four.

I watched him walk away. Five days ago we got into an awful fight. Wes came home later than usual. I ate dinner by myself. I called him and it went to voicemail. Every second he didn’t come home, I was seething inside. A hatred filled my heart. Black and heavy, it covered me. The emotion took me over and when Wes walked through the front door, I jumped out of my seat, demanding to know where he had been.

We argued, but instead of me backing down, like I always do, I stood my ground. He screamed at me to leave him alone and when I didn’t he promptly turned right back around and left the house. He didn’t come back. The next day he came home and apologized. He told me that he had slept at his office. I didn’t know what to believe. It was the first time we’d ever gone to bed angry and apart.

I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath.

When I opened my eyes again, I watched as a small woman walked around the side of the house with her hands filled with shovels and supplies. She moved forward like a woman on a mission. And when she reached me, she abruptly dropped all the supplies. I waited for her to look up and say hi, but she walked briskly back to her truck.

I watched as she moved back and forth between her truck and the backyard. Normally I was very quiet and contained but I wanted to talk to her and introduce myself.

I cleared my throat and she finally lifted her head. Her head was covered in a baseball cap, with the bill shading the upper portion of her face. Her skin was caramel from being out in the sun, her black hair pulled back in a ponytail. I knew without seeing all of her face that it was makeup-free. She seemed the polar opposite of the ladies I spent most of my time with. For that reason alone I was intrigued.

“Hello,” I blurted out.

She lifted her hat and gave me a quick once-over. “Hi.”

“I know you’re the new gardener but I thought I should introduce myself.” I approached her as she knelt beside a flower bed.

“I know who you are,” she cut in. She plucked her gloves off and dropped them onto her jean-clad thigh. She smiled and shook my hand. “Mrs. Donovan.”

I nodded slowly and gestured toward the derelict, vast space behind me. “Looks like you have a lot of work cut out for you.”

“It’s not as bad as you think. It seems like a lot but I think I can get the flowers planted and shrubs trimmed within a week.”

My eyes widened. “That’s impressive.”

She shrugged. “It’s my job, Mrs. Donovan.”

“You don’t have to call me that.” Confusion clouded her gaze. “Mrs. Donovan,” I supplied. “My name is Victoria.”

“Victoria it is then.” She looked at the boxes of flowers lined up neatly next to her.

“So here are some flowers that I think you would love.”

I glanced down at them. I had