The flowers
1084 Words
A knock at the door at 9am sharp.
Hazel frowned. No one came this early. Not even Maya, and she wasn't expecting anyone else.
She set her coffee down and crossed the room. A delivery guy stood outside holding a huge bouquet.
“Miss Hazel Carter.”
“Yes.”
“This is for you.”
She blinked. “For me?”
The man nodded.
After signing the delivery, she took the flowers to the kitchen counter.
White lilies and roses spilled over the wrapping paper. It was beautiful. The scent filled the kitchen instantly.
Then, she became suspicious. Who could have sent it? She searched through it and found a card. A card with two words.
Let's talk–Daniel.
Of course.
Daniel.
She considered throwing the Flowers away, but left them instead and returned to her coffee.
Then her phone rang; it was Daniel. She ignored the calls the first three times. By the fourth attempt, her patience was gone. She answered. “What?”
Daniel exhaled heavily. “Hazel.”
She immediately regretted answering. “What do you want?”
“I want us to talk.”
“We already did.”
“We didn't. You just walked away.”
“You had armed men in our living room.”
“It wasn't what you thought.”
“Then explain.”
Silence. Just his breathing on the other end.
“I'm tired of the lies.” She said. “There's no going back.”
“I never lied about loving you.”
That caught her off guard. For a second, she saw them again.
Dates. Movie nights. Road trips with the windows down. Sunday mornings, when he'd make breakfast, even though his Pancakes were always burnt on one side. That was the Daniel she had fallen for.
Then, she remembered the warehouse. The guns, blood, secrets. The memories disappeared just like that.
“Goodbye, Daniel.” She hung up and blocked him. Her hands were still shaking.
***
Later, Hazel was at the dining table editing photos when there was a knock at the door. Probably Maya.
She got up and opened it.
Adrian was standing in the hallway, holding a paper bag by the handle.
“Morning,” he greeted.
“Morning.”
She looked from his face to the bag. “What's all this?”
“Breakfast,” he said simply. “I figured you shouldn't be stressed arranging and cooking too.” He lifted the bag a little “Pancake and coffee. The good kind.”
“You’re thoughtful. Come in.”
He stepped inside.
Minutes later, they were eating breakfast at her table, and somehow it felt normal.
Across from her, Adrian was talking with his mouth half full. He was laughing at his own story.
For the first time, the apartment didn't feel so empty.
“You look distracted.” He noticed.
Hazel sighed. “My ex.”
Understanding flashed across his face.
“The flowers?”
She stared. “How did you know?”
He nodded towards the kitchen. “It was impossible to miss.”
“Right.”
“Is he trying to win you back?”
“Apparently.”
Adrian’s expression remained neutral. “What happened between you both?”
Hazel hesitated. She didn't want to talk about Daniel anymore. But something about Adrian made it easy to talk.
“He wasn't who I thought he was.”
A careful answer. Technically not a lie, but not the whole truth either.
Adrian stared at her with curiosity. “You liked him.”
It wasn't a question.
“I thought I did.”
Looking back, she wasn't sure.
Did she love Daniel, or the version of him he had made up?
The distinction mattered, and it hurt to think about.
Adrian didn't push further, and she was grateful for that. Instead, he changed the subject, and again, the conversation went on smoothly.
Hours passed faster than expected. By evening, Hazel found herself laughing at one of his stories. Actually laughing, not pretending to. The kind she hadn't felt in months.
When Adrian finally got up to leave, she watched him reach for the doorknob — and caught herself wishing he'd stay a little longer.
“Thank you.” She said.
“For what?”
“The food.”
Something softened in his eyes. “Anytime.”
***
Later that night, Hazel prepared for bed. The apartment was becoming familiar. For the first time in weeks, she felt calm. She checked her locks, brushed her teeth, turned off the lights. Then, climbed into her bed.
Her phone buzzed. Hazel frowned. It was an unknown number. Her thumb hesitated above the screen before she tapped it.
Only four words appeared on her screen.
DO NOT TRUST HIM.
Her breath caught. Her phone almost slipped.
She read it again and again. There was no name, no explanation, just those four words.
Her heart was hammering. Who could have sent it? And what did the person mean? And most importantly, who was the him, they were referring to? Daniel? Adrian? Or somebody else? She was very confused.
Before she could think further, another message dropped.
Ask yourself why that apartment became suddenly available.
All trace of sleep disappeared from her eyes. The sudden vacancy. The discounted rent.Things she'd already found suspicious.Things she’d tried to ignore.
A cold shot down her spine. Her fingers stopped over the keyboard. Finally, she typed.
Who is this?
The message was delivered. Minutes passed, and she got no reply. Hazel waited. Still nothing.
The sender had disappeared. Just like every other anonymous account before. Leaving behind only questions.
The apartment was too quiet now. Not the peaceful kind.
She lay there staring at the ceiling, reading those messages over and over in her head.
For the first time since she left, she wasn't sure if she'd gotten away or if she'd just traded one mess for the other.
Several streets away, a message flashed across the screen from a phone.
She has received it.
A pair of gloved hands typed a reply.
Good.
The phone was placed down on the table. Nearby lay a city map with several locations, one of which was marked. Hazel Car
ter's apartment. The figure looked at it a moment longer, then folded the map with careful hands and slid it into the drawer.
Rain began to hit the window. Silence settled back over the room. Whoever was behind the messages wasn't finished. The game had just begun.
- Writer
