*Cat*
I stared glumly at the bouquet of red and white roses sitting innocently in the vase before . As much as I liked roses, there was sothing off about them. I groaned, brushing through my hair before I grabbed the scissors, trimming just a few more white roses to put inside the vase.
Emilia watched curiously, her own pink rose in her hand, which she once again pushed through the baby gate, giving a whine to indicate she wanted it back. Of course, I yielded once more, returning back to the coffee table, which was in a whole other level of disarray.
After a full day of misery, wondering what I was going to do to make up with Elio, the best idea I had co up with was to get him a bouquet of roses. But then the florist, a sweet old lady, had talked my ear off for nearly an hour about the aning of different colored roses.
So she helped pick out the best white roses, which apparently ant sincere apologies, and red roses, which ant everlasting love. They looked good together, but there had been sothing off and I felt I wasn’t doing enough.
Hence, the vase I’d bought, washed, and peeled the sticker off of so Elio wouldn’t know it was sothing I randomly bought. Though, of course he would, because it wasn’t like I knew how to hand sculpt vases from scratch. I still wasn’t quite thinking straight.
“Dammit,” I cursed, flinching away as one of the thorns in the roses pierced my finger again.
I sighed, already reaching for a bandage to wrap around it. Nine out of my ten fingers now had colorful cartoon character band-aids, and I was beginning to regret going with roses instead of sothing more simple like violets.
But I didn’t even know why I was doing this in the first place. I glumly glanced at the roses in the vase, which were now beginning to wilt despite how much work I’d done to de-thorn them and cut their ends. I’d even researched how to make them last longer.
It was all useless, I thought, sulking at my failure.
Elio didn’t even like flowers.
I just sighed, unsure of whether to give up on this idea but feeling like an idiot anyway when I heard the front door begin to open. I jumped to my feet, panic settling as I glanced at the clock on the wall and realized it was ti for Elio to co ho.
“Shoot!” I didn’t have ti to hide, rushing to grab the vase of flowers just in ti for Elio to round the living corner. I rushed forward, not minding where I was as I stubbed my pinky on the end of the coffee table and lost my balance.
I braced for impact, water splashing all over the floor, and too as I crash-landed onto the carpet, groaning in misery.
“Cat?” Elio’s voice called out, shocked and concerned.
I opened my eyes, my breath catching in my throat as I saw the vase shattered across the carpet, glass shards spilled. All the flowers I had hand-cut and spent so long de-thorning were crushed under and spread across the floor.
I reached out for the last surviving white rose, the only one still tucked inside the broken vase. As I brushed off the glass, I heard Elio yelling out to , saying sothing, but I wasn’t listening. The image of the white rose blurred in front of and before I knew it, I was sobbing on the floor.
“Cat.”
A hand gently caressed my cheek, pulling my eyes to et Elio, who was kneeling in front of . I could barely see him through the watery tears rushing down, but I could hear Emilia whining in distress sowhere behind .
“I’m sorry.” My lip wobbled as I cried uncontrollably. “I wanted to make it up to you for fighting so I bought you so flowers, but you don’t even like flowers and now they’re all ruined and I didn’t an to make such a ss. I’m so sorry–”
“Cat.” Elio’s comforting voice softened my heart as he gently enclosed into his arms.
I buried my head into his shoulder, my shoulders trembling as they heaved with shuddering sobs.
“It’s okay,” he said. “Of cours I’m not angry. I appreciate you trying to make it up to , but you didn’t have to. I was in the wrong too, Cat. I didn’t an to make you so anxious. I just had to get my thoughts together.”
Elio gently coaxed , holding tightly until the last few tears finally stopped. He cupped my cheeks, pulling back so he could see my eyes. His fingers were so gentle as he swept his thumb under my eye, brushing away the tear-tracks that remained.
I leaned forward, shifting my hand to put my weight on it, but I hissed in pain as I cut my thumb on one of the loose glass shards below.
“Co on, be more careful.” Elio grabbed my palm, frowning as he saw my fully bandaged fingers and then glanced at the roses, giving a helpless look as he figured out what happened.
I sulked silently, secretly enjoying his attention as he lifted off the ground.
He carried to the couch, where he bandaged my thumb and then rebandaged the ssy thorn-wounds on my fingertips. I felt embarrassed now, feeling like I had been acting like a child with how dramatic I had been.
But I really felt like everything was crumbling around .
Once Elio had cleaned everything up, he ca back with one of the red roses that wasn’t yet crushed, a smile on his lips as he handed it to . I smiled sadly at the little ssed-up petals on the rose, and a reached out to thoughtfully tuck it into his hair.
I giggled as he sent a foolish grin, letting take a few photos just for myself. I cald down, cuddling into his side with relief as I told him about my day and he told about his. Eventually, though the elephant in the room had to be discussed.
“I was thinking about what you said,” he started hesitantly, and then he sent a smile. “I think you’re right. So I planned everything out and I want to take you out on a trip, just to get away and forget about life for a bit.”
“A trip?” I repeated, baffled.
But Elio only grinned.
I had no idea that while I had been fussing over making things up to him, Elio had been doing the sa thing while at work all day. But in true Elio fashion, the mont he decided to whisk away, it was done.
A servant arrived with our packed bags all ready to go and Mom arrived monts later, reassuring that Emilia would be okay with her. Elio also assured that security would be doubled on them while we were gone so nobody would ever be able to harm them.
Elio chose his favorite car, the Corvette, and soon I was breathing in the fresh air of the coastline, the windows down and my hair whipping around as I sang along to the music on the radio.
I already felt better just getting out of the house, my excitent ramping up the further we got from LA. Though I missed Emilia, I knew this was just what I needed.
The sun was beginning to set on the beach when we rolled up to the vacation house. It was gorgeous, smaller than I would’ve expected for sothing Elio to take to, but perfect just for the two of us anyway.
Right next to the beach, rely feet away from the sandy shores, it was a very open, white two-story house with a large screened patio and spiral staircase that led to the upstairs veranda and bedroom.
It was just the necessities–bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and small living space–but it was perfect. Seagulls perched on the top of the house as we entered, taking flight as soon as I saw them. I grinned, breathing in the salty air of the sea.
“Just relax for a mont. I’ll put the luggage upstairs.” Elio kissed my forehead, his touch gentle even now, like I might fall apart in his arms if he pushed too hard.
I gave him a smile, drained from my earlier breakdown and last night’s fight still.
I could hear the waves softly crashing even from the distance we were at, and I sighed as I sat on one of the beach chairs on the patio, the breeze gently flowing through my hair. The temperature was dropping quickly but after the heat from the sun all day, it felt nice on my skin.
When Elio ca back, the sky was a burst of colors as the sun slowly set. He handed a cold glass of wine as we watched the sunset together.
I gently closed my eyes, relishing in Elio’s closeness as he held my hand, rubbing his thumb soothingly across my skin. I decided that I was going to put all of my doubts aside for tonight at least and just focus on here and now.
But in true Elio fashion, just a beach house and a sunset was not nearly enough for him. I played along with Elio, smiling as he led upstairs, where I showered and played the treasure hunt he set up for just to find the dress he’d hung in the closet.
His outfit was matching, even down to the tie, and I smiled as I gently tucked the white rose, which had sohow made it all the way here, into his suit pocket. He offered his arm to and I gladly accepted.
I’d never been to the restaurant Elio had chosen, the Loft but I had heard of its reputation and of course, I noticed imdiately that it was empty when we walked in.
I gave him a side-eye as the waiter led us to one of the hundred tables open and available, though this one did have an incredible view of the nightlife, I had to admit. We had the entire place to ourselves, which started with my favorite at and cheese platter, rolls, and glasses of wine.
Elio was grinning, ordering everything and going overboard, and I was grateful for how much effort and thought he had put into this, just to make feel better after our fight.
I didn’t have the heart to tell him it wasn’t working very well.
I was just tired from the rough couple of days, I tried to convince myself, as Elio poured another glass of wine.
Even though I didn’t feel too up to a fancy dinner, my thoughts traveling back to last night’s fight, I wouldn’t ntion it at all. I plastered on a sweet smile, thanking him genuinely as the night dragged on.
I couldn’t tell him. I didn’t want to make him upset.
And I just didn’t want to fight anymore.
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