"I can't believe you went without me." Avery mutters, sinking into the armchair opposite me. "I would have loved to have seen her face.. But I understand why you wanted to do it alone. I'm proud of you."

"It did feel good."

"I bet. Will you miss it though? Not working for her, I mean seeing Zak and Gracie? I know you enjoyed seeing his dog." 

I mull the idea over and give it a shrug. "I probably will. Although I called her by a variety of names before I knew she was called Gracie. But yeah, I think I will for a little while."

"And him?" Avery probes, watching my face for a reaction. 

"I'd be a liar if I said no. But it is what it is." I answer. 

Avery goes to respond when a knock at the door cuts her off. "Speak of the devil." She jokes getting up to answer it. 

"Oh don't. I don't think I can handle anymore of this mess today." I reply as she leaves the lounge.

I wait, wondering if she is right as she opens the door, when I hear her give a hoot in surprise. Frowning, I set my glass down and get up crossing the room. 

"You're not the woman I want." A voice says making Avery scoff. 

"Well noticed. What do you want?" She asks. 

"Where is Riley? I want to speak to her."

I peer around the corner to see Avery's back ramrod straight and ready to take on Zak who has appeared on my doorstep. I can only see a partial glimpse of him through the mirror in the hallway. 

"She isn't here." Avery responds. 

"Then where is she? I don't know where else to look and I really want to sort this out with her." He answers. 

"You should have thought about that before you had secret meetings with Rachel. Why didn't you tell Riley what was going on? Don't you think that would have been better? Instead of keeping her in the dark!" Avery snaps making me leave the hiding spot and approach the door.

Ever since Avery had found out, she has been biding her time to rip a strip out of Zak and after today, I don't think I have it in me for more arguing..

I take the door from Avery's grip and open it up to reveal a slightly dishevelled Zak. The second he sees me, I swear his eyes light up a little, but I am not sure on how good of an actor he is to do that, so I have to write it off.. 

"You're here?" He asks, almost sounding relieved. 

"I am."

He nods before lifting his hand up again and presenting a bunch of flowers. "For you."

"You can't be serio-"

"They are beautiful." I say instantly, interrupting Avery. "Thank you.."

The bouquet is a variety of flowers and from the dirt around his nails and the mud on his knees, I can only hazard a guess that he has gone out and picked them. Which instantly makes them more precious as I take them off him. 

"You're welcome." He says brushing his hands on his pants in nerves. 

Before I speak, I look to Avery who sigh "Oh you kill joy. Always stealing my fun." She huffs.

"Go on." I tell her as she sulks off into the apartment, leaving me to step outside the door and close it behind me. 

The hallway seems a thousand times quieter than it usually is, and it wouldn't surprise me if both Mavis and Avery had their ears to the door right now, waiting on bated breaths on what was going to be said. 

I glance towards Zak who has been quietly watching me. "Do you want to um..."

"Sit here? Or maybe go for a walk?" He suggests.

"Is your car here?" I ask making him nod. "Let's go sit in there. I have no doubt that the walls have ears..."

He looks towards my front door before looking towards Mavis'. "We could always take the roof?"

I smile instantly "Good idea. You lead the way."

When we step out onto the roof, it feels different from last time. There's a hint of awkwardness there but none of the standoffish behaviour and tension that there was the other day.Zak offers a seat on the blue couch, which I take and he follows by sitting on the same couch. Showing that this isn't full of conflict, almost as though we are on the same side now.

"The flowers are gorgeous." I tell him, looking at them in the lowering sun. "You pick them yourself?" I ask nodding towards his knees. 

He laughs slightly. "Yeah, it was more for a personal touch."

"I like it." 

There's a pause where we look at each other and the flowers, wondering who was going to speak next, when he beats me to it.

"The pink one..." He says touching his fingertip on a pale pink flower "Is almost the same colour as your lips. As soft as them too.... And the daisy one, because it's bright and I think you are too, you have this vibrancy about you. The yellow one, that looks like a tiny sunflower? That's because I know you like sunflowers and they are warm, you're warm and a snuggler."

I sit and listen as he explains the flowers and why I have them in my hands. I can't deny that this move is the cheesiest of cheese, but also the most adorable moves I've ever encountered. So much so, I feel a little emotional as he speaks. 

"And what about that white one?" I ask as he finishes. 

He smiles. "It's the best one and I think it represents what brought us closer together."

"Which is?" I ask looking at the layered white petals with a tinge of yellow and pink at it's centre.

"I know the name of that one too, so don't go laughing at me when I tell you it."

"I won't." 

"It's called a Gravel Ghost." He says making me smile instantly. "And I know it's now your favourite."

"They are all beautiful. But I can't lie to you. I really like this one." I answer. "What an awesome name." 

"I know, I am definitely going to get some planted at the museum."

I nod "That would be bad ass and probably look really nice against the building."

"Yeah it's pretty cool. I didn't realise Mavis was a gardener too." He says nodding to the pot on the opposite side of the roof.

"Well I knew she was into pot." I laugh as Zak gets up to inspect it.

"They are nice little ones too. I wonder what they are calle- Oh." He says stopping as he reads the label. 

"What is it?" I ask. 

"They um.. They have a very peculiar name." He says. 

"What's it called? Is she trying to grow pot?" 

"No, she's uh.. Oh god. She's trying to grow... False morning glory." He says making me gasp a laugh.

"No...."

He nods "It says it on the label."

The seriousness of his face has me creasing with laughter and I don't stop until I've almost passed out with lack of oxygen. "I- Ohh!" I hoot trying to calm down. 

"Have I ever told you, that Mavis is awesome? She is like the hippest old lady I've ever met." He says taking his seat again. 

"Yeah she's definitely one of a kind." I answer. 

There seem to be stalled silences between us, and just as another one arrives. I decide to bite the bullet. "So you and Rachel?"

He looks over to me instantly. "No. There was never a me and Rachel. It was all in her messed up head."

I lift a brow. 

"Okay fine. We went out once for a drink. But nothing happened. I can swear to you on that.." He says sitting up to look at me directly. "She has tried to come onto me a few times, but I have no responded. It's never gotten serious and I have never slept with her. I wouldn't. I know I should have told you when you asked but I didn't want it to be another nail in the coffin."

"But it was another lie.." I point out.

"I know that now and if I could go back, I would." He says with clear honesty. "I really like you Riley, and I don't like anyone."

"You got a past that shows different."

"And you're going to judge me on my past? Before I met you? That's hardly fair." He says making me sigh. 

"No, I guess it isn't. But what I am trying to say is that I am completely different from the women you've been with."

"And that is a bad thing?" He asks.

"Well yeah, maybe. I guess..." I answer.

"Why is it?"

"Because.... Because-"

"Because what?" He pushes. 

"Because how am I suppose to believe that you are interested in me when you've been with models and other really attractive women?" I ask. 

"What makes you any different than them?" 

I glare at him. "Oh come on. Do I need to point it all out?"

"Well if you would."

With a growl in my chest, I pull out my phone and type in the name of one of his ex girlfriends.. Hoping he doesn't realise that her name has been in the search bar already today.

"Look at her." I say turning my phone to his face. "Gorgeous. Blonde, make up perfectionist, thin, great career-"

"A compulisive liar, a cheat, and a royal pain in my ass." He adds.

"No. Don't do that. You asked and I'm telling-"

"No." He says cutting me off. Again. "You're picking yourself apart on the people who I used to date. Used to date. Meaning they are in the past, probably because I was looking for comfort in all the wrong place. Riley, I am not going to keep beating myself over the head with all this. My past is my past and granted it's not the best. But I promise you, my future is not going to be the same."

I let my head fall back against the couch as I stare into the sky.

"I know you don't trust me and I know you're picking yourself apart.. Listen. Do you like those flowers?" 

"Of course I do. They are beautiful." I tell him lifting them up to my nose. 

"Are they really?"

"Yes." I tell him, glancing over at him.

"I picked them, each one of them, because a part of them reminded me of you. You find those flowers beautiful but you won't believe that parts of you are too?" He asks. 

The sudden turn of mood makes me sit up slightly and really think about what he's just said to me.

"I can't help it.." I mumble.

"I know you can't. Joel has really fucked with your confidence and I haven't helped.. Riley, sweetheart. I am sorry for not telling you my plan sooner. I am sorry I didn't talk to you about what I wanted to do. Because if I did, than maybe I could have stopped all this unravelling and hurting you."

"Hindsight is a fine thing, huh?" I ask. 

"I know. If only I spoke to you first... Your confidence is knocked and then you hear that? It's no wonder you took off. But I am being serious here.." He says taking my hand. "When I tell you that I will do everything in my power to gain your trust again, because I really do like you. Even if you snore."

"I don't snore." I frown.

"Well I think you do..." He sings making me pull my hand from his and pinch his arm. "Owh." He laughs.

"I don't snore. Ladies don't do that."

"You're a lady?" He jokes grabbing my fingers when I go to pinch him again. "Okay truce... But in all seriousness now, let me help put those demons of yours to rest. Let me earn your trust again and give me a chance to prove to you that this isn't a game. Because to me, it never has been."

I chew my lip, looking at him as the sunset floods us with a golden glow. I'd like to think that this is the perfect time of day for me, but judging the effects the sunset has on Zak, it's clear that I am nowhere near his level of competition. He looks like a God, basking in greatness.

His words seem to ring along side the same words that Mavis had said this morning to me, and I wonder if I am cutting my nose off despite my face. Here was a guy who was clearly trying and I was what? Shooting him down because of my own insecurities. I know I don't deserve that but old habits die hard...

"Okay." I answer quietly.

"Yeah?" He asks to make sure.

I nod. "Yeah. Okay."

He grins and wraps his arm around my shoulders, pulling me in close. "Now, help me find the perfect flowers for the museum. I trust your judgement and I'd like to challenge you to find one better than the  Gravel Ghost. Because that is a clear winner so far."

Smiling, I pull out my phone. "Challenge, accepted."