Authors: Sadie Grubor
"Miss Ashwood may have other plans this evening." Victoria turned to look at him with confusion on her face. My mouth dropped open. "Now, please collect your things."
"Daddy—"
"Now Victoria," he said sternly.
Victoria's shoulders hunched forward and she went to collect her things.
"I can take her home," I muttered.
His cold hard eyes focused in on me.
"I don't want to ruin any plans you may have with your…friend." He spat out the last word.
"Oh, really?" I crossed my arms over my chest.
Well didn't he just effectively make me feel like a slut.
Dr. Bishop didn't say anything. His eyes remained hard and his lips tightly closed.
"I'll take Victoria home," I snapped at him and followed after her.
Victoria and I said goodbye to Miranda and Benji after we collected our purses, shoes, and other things before we headed out the doors toward the car. The walk was quiet and my mind kept spinning.
I get that Lucas and I had hugged, and that it could look bad, but is that really what he thought of me? Did he think I was like that, that type of girl? Apparently the answer was yes.
My disappointment in Dr. Bishop's assumptions became anger. It was an anger that grew during the drive back to the house.
My cell phone rang a couple of times, but I was too mad to even bother looking at it. Victoria looked at me funny a couple of times, but still stayed quiet. She obviously sensed my mood.
As we walked into the house, Dr. Bishop's car pulled into the driveway.
"Why don't you go jump in the shower," I said to Victoria as we started up the stairs. "Oh, and make sure you hang up your dress, okay?"
She nodded and I heard the front door.
"Miss Ashwood?" he called for me, but I ignored him and walked to my room.
After I dropped everything onto my bedroom floor, I quickly stripped out of the dress, pantyhose, and the god forsaken strapless bra that I could barely breathe in, and went into the bathroom. With the close of the bathroom door, I heard him enter my room. I locked the door before I got in the shower. A few attempts at the door knob and he got the hint.
I showered away the makeup, the hair product, and tried to shower away the anger and hurt. Everything rinsed away except for the hurt. I tried to mentally talk myself out of being hurt and angry as I toweled off, but I wasn't doing a very good job. I exited the bathroom with my towel tied tightly around me.
I had expected Dr. Bishop to be sitting there, ready to pounce on me, but he was nowhere to be found in the room. With a breath of relief, I got dressed in some comfortable pajamas and headed to check on Victoria. When I got to her room, I saw her half asleep on her bed with soaking wet hair. I grabbed the towel she had dropped to the floor and tried to dry her hair better.
"I had so much fun tonight," she spoke through a large yawn.
I laughed.
"I'm glad that you did." Grabbing her brush I scooted her up so I could go through her hair before I lay her back down and tuck her into bed.
Once Victoria was settled, I left her room and closed the door behind me. Dr. Bishop was standing in the hallway with a deep scowl on his face. I was too tired, angry, and hurt to deal with him.
"Are you going to continue to ignore me?" The intensity of his eyes was familiar and no longer scary to me.
"What do you want?" I shook my head and closed my eyes as I spoke.
"Did you… are you… who was he?"
My eyes flew open.
"Lucas is a friend that I met through Miranda. He was Benji's best man. What you saw was a hug between friends and nothing else."
"So, I'm supposed to believe that he doesn't want more with you? Or you with him for that matter?" The harshness increased as he spoke.
"He did, once, but I had effectively told him that we were just friends," I ground out through my teeth. "As for what I want, I thought that we had already talked about that, but I guess I was wrong." I walked away toward my room.
"Where are you going?" His tone had changed and there was now the definite sound of pleading for me not to walk away.
"To bed." I didn't stop walking and he didn't say another word.
When I got to my bedroom I hesitated at the door. Then I made my decision. I closed the door and locked it before I climbed into bed. Once I slipped between the soft sheets, I felt the tears starting to well up in my eyes. They were silent tears of anger, frustration, and hurt that slipped over my cheeks as I drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, the alarm clock alerted me that it was time to get up. With a loud groan, I stretched and heaved myself up off of the bed. Once I was vertical, everything came crashing back into memory. I crunched up my face and headed to my bathroom.
The moment that I got to my bedroom door and unlocked it, I took a large breath in and out before I pulled it open. I didn't know what I expected to find on the other side of the door. I think a part of me wanted to see Dr. Bishop curled up in ball on the floor in front of my door, but what I got was an empty living space. Unexpected relief washed over me and I went to Victoria's room.
I got Victoria up, we packed her day bag, and then we went to the kitchen for breakfast. She decided on eggs and toast, so I quickly put that together. She was halfway through her breakfast when I heard the front door. When I went to look out there was no one around, so I returned to the kitchen. Just as Victoria finished her breakfast, Dr. Bishop entered the kitchen. I winced a little at his appearance.
He was still wearing his heavy scowl and cold hard eyes. However, on top of all of that scowling was a disheveled appearance. I had never seen him so mussed up. His hair looked more tousled than usual, and he simply had on jeans and a hooded sweatshirt. There were dark bags under his cold emeralds to top of the rough, newly grown in whiskers along his jaw. I opened my mouth as he reached for coffee, but snapped it shut when he cursed from burning his finger on the pot.
"Are you ready?" he croaked out with his eyes facing the cabinet above the coffee pot.
"Yes, Daddy." Victoria's voice was low and she quickly glanced at me with a look of sadness. She could tell that something was the matter with him. I tried to reassure her with a smile, but she just slipped off of the barstool and walked off to get her bag. I began cleaning up her dishes.
"Will you be home?" His voice sounded distant and tired.
I was surprised to hear him speak to me and spun quickly to look at him. He kept his eyes off of me.
"Yes," I answered shortly. I hadn't meant to sound that way, but it just came out that way.
There was a tap on the counter as he set his coffee mug down. Then he turned and walked out of the kitchen. I couldn't help but follow his every move as he left.
I quickly finished cleaning up the kitchen. Once it was mess free, I decided to return to my room and work on my book. I was thinking about the fact that it was just about ready to be sent out to the publishing houses when I was hit with a heavy floral smell. My brow furrowed in confusion as I stepped into my living room. The furrowed brow faded as my eyes widened at the sight in front of me.
There were four large bouquets of flowers in my room. One was roses, one was lilies, another was gerbera daisies, and the last were peonies, I think. My eyes scanned each of them three times before I stepped closer to the roses and inhaled deeply. It was with that whiff that I noticed the white card. I swiftly snatched the card from the clear plastic holder, but hesitated nervously before opening it. With the slip of one finger, I had it open and I pulled out the little card. My eyes landed on the physician-like scrawl that was Dr. Bishop's handwriting.
Miss Ashwood. I did not know your favorite, so I chose the four that most remind me of you.
Roses are a symbol of passion.
The note ended and I hurried to the bouquet of daises.
Daisies represent innocence, but for me, they also are the most free spirited of flowers.
A large smile spread across my face and I rushed to the bouquet of lilies.
The Stargazer lily represents ambition.
I bit my lip and turned to the last bouquet that was waiting for me; the peonies.
The peony represents healing.
I was a little unsure of what to make of the last one, but I kept rotating the cards in my hands with a large smile on my lips. I walked over to my couch and sat down as I reread the little note cards. It was on my third rotation of the cards that I saw the single sunflower lying on the coffee table in front of me. There was a small ribbon and note card attached. Laying the four cards on the table, I picked up the flower and placed it in my lap. After removing the card, I opened it.
The Sunflower represents adoration.
The feeling of my chest constricting for a split second caused my breathing to catch in my throat. I began to feel guilty for being so distant with him last night.
He was wrong, but I could've just talked about it with him rather than run away like a kid. God you are so stupid Sophia!
I was still mentally yelling at myself when I heard the front door. One more look down at the cards and I was on my feet and out my door.
Dr. Bishop was at the bottom of the steps when I reached the fourth step up from the first floor. He looked at me with apprehension when I stopped.
"I, uh, I wanted to say I'm sorry." It was silent for a brief moment.
"What are you sorry for?" He sounded tired. "I was the jealous fool."
I smiled small, just now realizing how flattering it was that he admitted to being jealous.
"Thank you for the flowers." I took a step toward him.
"I'm sorry for my behavior last night. I—"
I didn't give him a chance to finish speaking. I jumped the remaining steps between us, wrapped my arms around his neck, and crushed my lips to his.
The tension in his body dissipated the longer we kissed. His arms were around my waist and squeezing me against his body. I deepened the kiss and heard him moan around my lips. As my hands started to fist into his hair, he surprised me by bending down and lifting me over his shoulder.
"Oh my god put me down!" I squealed.
"Soon enough," he responded and moved with determination up the stairs.
"Let me walk," I squirmed. He slapped my ass. "Ahh!" I squeaked out.
"Behave yourself," he commanded as he walked us into his bedroom and kicked the door closed.
He placed me onto my feet and immediately launched himself at me. We both fell back onto the bed. I laughed loudly, but he stifled my laughter with his mouth.
Dr. Bishop's hands quickly moved down my sides until he gripped my hips tightly. I moaned. He slid his hand from my hip to my thigh and then in between my thighs, pushing them apart.
Soon, both of his hands were pulling my legs farther apart and he was laying between them, his body hovering over mine. As he pressed his hips forward, I thrust my pelvis upward. Both of us moaned at the contact.
I pulled away from his lips for oxygen and heard him gasp for air before claiming my neck with his mouth. My hands found the hem of his sweatshirt and I began to pull it up his body.
Suddenly, he pushed up onto his knees and yanked his sweatshirt and t-shirt off in one clean motion. He tossed it to the floor and immediately yanked my t-shirt up my body. I leaned up on my elbows and it only took one second for me to be shirt, as well as bra, free.
"I don't like it when you shut me out." He stared down at me with blazing intensity. His eyes were on my face, but his fingers were gliding over the skin of my breast and nipple as he spoke.
"I'm sorry," I lightly moaned and shivered from his touch.
A small smirk played on his lips as his fingers made another pass over my breast. I shivered again and felt the goose bumps prickle across my skin.
"I apologize as well." He leaned over my body. His right hand still gliding on my skin and his left was supporting him above me. The green blaze in his eyes was lustful and adoring. I bit my lip when I thought of the sunflower's meaning.
Collin's lips crashed down to mine. He kissed me hard, almost roughly. In fact, every movement following his apology was rougher than normal. Not once did he hurt me, but it was as if he were working through his emotions during our physical contact.
The tugging that he did on my cotton yoga pants almost pulled me across the bed. The removal of his jeans was erratic and frenzied. The way he sucked on my breast was harder and made me pulse deep within for him.
I felt his swollen tip at my entrance. I hated to do it, but I pushed him up from me. Confusion and annoyance spread across his face.
"What?" he panted.
"Condom?" I crinkled my face. Slightly embarrassed and frustrated myself.
He groaned, but stood up from the bed. I shifted and he turned back to me quickly.
"Don't move." He pointed at me to make himself clear. I saluted him with a smirk.
I could hear cabinets and drawers opening and closing in his bathroom. There was also some muffled grumbling, but I couldn't make out what he was saying. I had to stifle my giggles.