The Wallflower Mate

25

Looking through the large glass windows of the greenhouse, the morning sun rays have disappeared behind dark grey clouds. The weather increased in humidity—a pre-cursor to rain. Also, Ryker could smell the heady smell of incoming heavy rain in the air.

Ryker sat on a wooden bench placed in the middle of the greenhouse on top of the narrowed, grey stone walkway. Mary moved to sit down next to him. He watched in silence as Mary pulls out a sub sandwich wrapped in parchment paper from her basket and handed it to him. Ryker removed his gardening gloves before he accepted the sandwich.

No one had ever brought him lunch when he was brooding. Most of the time, they would leave him alone to sulk until he got over it. Ryker lifted the sandwich and took a bite.

"What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I interrupted your lunch earlier today. So, I worried that you would be hungry."

Ryker was silent. No matter how hard he pushed, no matter how much he reasoned with himself, he would always return to the same position. His broken heart never truly mended. He never truly forgiven Lottie. He never truly forgiven himself for falling in love.

That was his obstacle.

But the way his heart was thumping in his chest at a maddening pace told him he was close to losing himself entirely to Mary. How could this be? His heart raced at her nearness. It cracked under her smile. It is filled with hope when she tends to him with affection.

Ryker looked away from her to stare at some medicinal herbs that he was growing, "Why do you do this?"

"Do what?" His question confused Mary.

He sighed and dropped his sub sandwich to the spot next to him on the bench. Running his fingers through his hair, he tugged on it slightly out of frustration.

Standing up, he began pacing.

They lined the interior of the greenhouse with solar-powered wall lanterns. They powered on as the sky grew darker, illuminating the entire greenhouse.

Mary could see that something was troubling Ryker. She sensed it since the moment he left abruptly at the restaurant. At first, she debated about coming here but, she wanted to check on him.

When she arrived at the greenhouse and saw him in all his coarse and dusty glory, she saw briefly how happy he was to see her. At least, that was what she perceived. Now she wasn't too sure.

"I like you, Ryker," Mary whispered inaudibly.

Ryker's pacing halted. He looked at her.

"If I didn't like you, what we did last night wouldn't have happened."

Ryker said nothing. Suddenly, the sound of quenching, rapid raindrops hits the glass windows on the roof of the greenhouse. It echoed obtrusively. The mean-kind of rain that wets everything on earth and leaves the streams running with pristine water.

"What are we, Ryker?" she asked.

"I-I don't know," he replied.

Mary tried not to flinch, but Ryker saw it anyway.

"Mary..." he breathed in a shaky voice, reaching out to grab onto her, but stopped. Swearing under his breath, he shoved his hands through hair roughly. "Mary, this isn't about you."

"Then who is it about?"

Ryker swallowed the growing lump in his throat and closed his eyes. His heart ached. His insides felt twisted and uncomfortable.

"Her name is Lottie," he blurted, before opening his eyes to look at her.

"Lottie?"

"I met her when I was seventeen. I was rebellious back then, Mary. I ran away from Abraham and landed myself in a criminal city full of rogues. Soon after, I joined a gang of rogues. They went around the city—stealing, robbing, and committing crimes. I met Lottie shortly after at the local fair. We seemed to click right away. She was my female. We had our fun, sticking with the rogues, and creating havoc.