His Little Flower (Felix and Flora)



Chapter 41

Now

I looked at the time on my phone, "It's time for Mr. Corsino's lunch, as well. I'll be back after I get this to him. Just two minutes." He nodded, not looking up from the food.

I had barely moved from my seat when a voice rang out, "Liam!"

Felix sounded...mad.

He had only said Liam's name, and he hadn't even yelled. Just a short, clipped tone, but it had been frightening enough.

I turned to the door slowly to look at him, an empty plate I was going to fill with food for him in my arms.

"Mr. Corsino," I said softly, "I was just getting your lunch. Would you like to eat in the dining room? Or here?"

He looked at me, his lips turned up to a scowl and his eyes full of rage and accusation. Oh God no. He still thought something was going on with me and Liam. I felt like dying. I could see how this looked. And the last thing I wanted was for Felix to fully believe in this idea of Liam and I. There was no truth in it.

Felix turned away from me again.

He looked at Liam who was gripping his spoon tightly.

"Is your job inside the kitchen?"

Liam gritted his teeth, "I'm on my lunch break, Mr. Corsino."

Felix cocked his head to the side. "I've warned you both before. Was I too nice the last time?"

"Mr. Corsino," I began, "Its nothing like - "

He stopped me with a raise hand. "I'm sorry, did I speak to you?"

I fell silent.

One. Two. Three.

One. Two. Three.

"Get out of here," he snapped at Liam, "I don't want to see this shit in my house. You understand?"

Liam looked like he wanted to say something. He looked angry. And I got it. Felix was being unnecessarily rude. But he took the high road. He looked at me and said sweetly,

"Thank you for the food, Flora." Leaving his food there, he left, not saying a word to Felix, but slightly lowering his head to show defeat. Felix was rude and I don't think Liam could afford to piss him off.

Knowing the nature of his job, Liam probably knew that Felix was in the mafia. He couldn't be doing his security without being involved himself. And I guess he knew not to mess with him. Felix turned to me when Liam left. I gulped.

"Um, I made some chicken stew. And fresh bread. Should I make you a plot?"

Felix's jaw was set. He took a step closer to me. Another. And another. Until he was so close to me, I could feel his breath on the top of my head. My own breath was caught in my throat. I could smell his familiar scent as it flooded memories and memories into my conscious.

"I told you, Miss White. Keep your sexual trysts outside my house."

"Its not like that, I whispered."

"Yeah?" He moved closer to me, somehow. I looked up at him, meeting his eyes. They were clouded with a mixture of betrayal and deep, deep sadness. "Sure didn't look like it."

“I just made him some food, Felix. I mean, I made it for you. I know you like it."

He chuckled lowly. "I'm not going to eat what you made for some other man. My fucking security guard, of all people.”

He was jealous.

"He's a friend." I whispered.

Felix reached out and tipped my head upward with a lone finger on my chin. "He's not your fucking friend."

My skin was on fire from his touch. Oh, it had been so, so long. I had forgotten what it felt like to be touched by him.

"Have you really become such a slut?" His words stung. I stepped back from him, away from his touch.

I could take his anger, his disappointment. But he couldn't call me that. Not when I had saved myself for him all these years, not even knowing if we'd ever meet again, only based on a hope and nothing else.

"You can't call me that."

He ignored what I had said. "You're not to fraternize with him. Not in here. Not outside of here. Tell him to back the fuck off, alright?"

My eyebrows furrowed. Who did he think was, telling me who I could meet and what I could do? He refused to acknowledge me, remember me, but he still thought he had the right to order me around like he owned me or something?

"Don't tell me what to do, Felix." My voice raised. "I'll do whatever the fuck I want. I'll hook up with Liam if I want to. You don't have the right to say anything. Not when you don't even remember me!"

He grabbed both my arms and pulled my close to him, his grip tight. Our chests touched ever so slightly. My breath hitched. He shook me hard. "Of course I fucking remember you, Flora."

Oh.

Flo-ra.

Flora.

Flora. Flora. Flora.

I felt like I couldn't breathe. My name, from his lips. The one thing I had been longing to hear. The only thing that would give it meaning. Give me, meaning.

We stood like that for a few seconds, but it felt like minutes. Hours, even.

"Then why won't you acknowledge me?"

When words finally left my mouth, my voice sounded broken.

"Because you fucking broke me, Flora." He still hadn't let go of me. "And I don't know how to suddenly be normal."

"I'm sorry." I whispered. My throat was filling with something sour. "I'm so sorry, Felix."

He clenched his eyes shut, as if in pain. He swallowed visibly. My heart hurt. He let go of me slowly, loosening his grip on me. He turned around, and left the room, as I stood there, unable to speak, think, breathe, anything.

I sat there on the kitchen island for hours maybe, reliving the moment, remembering the anger, the hate in his eyes. I ate some bread and then felt like throwing up. I threw the stew out. I cleaned up. I made Felix's dinner. All while as I did the chores, my head and my heart felt empty.

I didn't know how to be normal, either. We would never be normal again.

I left a bit early than usual and saw Liam at the gates. I wasn't in the mood to talk, so I just acknowledged him with a nod and kept walking. But he called my name from behind me and then I had to stop to interact with him.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

I nodded. "Yeah, why?"

He hesitated, "Um, you don't look so good."

I licked my lips. "Oh." I didn't know what to say that.

"Sorry," Liam gave me a sheepish grin. "I just meant... I don't know. Did Mr. Corsino yell at you or something?"

I shook my head, "Not really. I'm sorry for how he spoke to you. It wasn't nice."noveldrama