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Nathaniel

I spent all weekend either reliving every second I’d spent with Poppy insure I hadn’t e or a text froin only has ain

Atdays were over, and that I would never have the good fortune of being with a wo and beautiful… but then fate blew Poppy into allery, there was only one other person I’d told about h childhood And that was Danneel

My parents were poor and fro side of the tracks My father was a laborer by day and a drunk by night Mythat stuck She couldn’t handle authority—people telling her what to do, especially if they were h flack of my father, and there isn’t a day that I don’t ree this was, even with such imperfections, she was still so beautiful As beautiful as the canvas that I showed Poppy at the gallery

Poppy—my mind wanders back to her and my proposition I know I told her Monday was fine Part of me, maybe a cocky part, assumed she’d come back with an enthusiastic yes before that

Ie And despiteher first lover, based on how she’d responded tothose weeks as my lover would be a hardship

I glance at the time on my phone She’s ten minutes late

Roberto co his own phone “The intern called in sick,” he tellshis phone back in his pocket

“She did?”

He nods

“You talked to her?”

He glances atand she can’t coizes for being out”

He walks off, and I find ut twists

She’s avoiding me

If she doesn’t want to accept my deal, all she has to do is tell me so