Several minutes later, we finally arrive at our destination. On a muddy bank lining the pond, our small patch of wildflowers is in full bloom, the stark white petals differing from the many other colorful blossoms that have overtaken the field behind us. They bend and bow with an oncoming breeze, and I smile, picturing them waving at us as if cheerfully greeting old friends. Genny grins with similar recognition.
Slowly, she crouches to the ground, lovingly curling her fingers around the blossom of the closest wildflower. “Lukas.”
He begins to take a step forward, but halts suddenly, his expression taut across his face. He stares at the ground in contemplation before turning to face me.
Taken completely by surprise, I can do nothing but gape as he curls his fingers under the hem of his hoodie and whips it over his head in one swift movement.
It’s quite possibly the sexiest thing I’ve ever witnessed.
To make matters worse, I’m ogling the movement of his muscles beneath his white T-shirt as he wordlessly shoves the hoodie in my face. Even Adam is helpless facing this glorious display. He exhales sharply next to me, and I elbow him in the ribs. And then, the impossible happens.
Because standing in front of me, Lukas holds my eyes for a brief moment, then—I kid you not—he shakes his head and…grins.
Teeth flash, and Lord help me, a dimple sinks deep into his left cheek. Adam and I sigh in unison, which only serves to broaden his smile.
And in this moment, I know I’m totally and utterly screwed.
My entire body crackles as I take hold of his offering, the body heat trapped in his hoodie instantly warming my hands. It smells like him. And I know with absolute certainty I was right.
A simple smile from Lukas White is most certainly enough to sustain a thousand broken souls. Mine included.
He looks back to the ground. “You’re cold.”
“Thank you,” I respond, smiling meekly in appreciation.
He silently acknowledges my gratitude with a dip of his head before turning back to Genny. She’s looking at me, her grin unconcealed.
When Lukas slowly kneels beside her, I lift the hoodie to slide it over my head. Adam chuckles beside me, elbowing me in the ribs this time while I’m defenseless. I curse him from within the heavenly confines of the hoodie before poking my head through the neck hole and pushing my arms through the sleeves.
Ignoring us, Genny wisely continues with the introductions. “Lukas, these are our wildflowers. Our namesakes.” She gestures to the field behind us, brimming with colored blossoms. “You see, every one of these flowers will eventually succumb to the seasons’ brutality. Mark my words, all will be worn down by extreme heat and by the middle of summer, they’ll be gone. Every single one.”
Her hand stalls on the white flowers still dancing happily in the breeze beside her. “Except these badasses, because they’re stubborn. Resilient. They will last long after the others are gone. Like us, they continue to flourish in defiance of the demanding seasons. Their strength and ferocity stem from below the surface where their roots are forever tangled, interwoven in such a way that for the remainder of time they will bloom together, and when winter finally prevails, they perish as one. But even in death they remain connected, thriving within the comfort only they can provide each other, until spring brings them to life once again.”
Genny angles her head and smiles lovingly at the wildflowers, then cups an open blossom between her hands. After a silent moment shared between the two, she releases it and looks to Lukas. “Wildflowers, this is Lukas. He’s one of us.”
Without another word, she rises and steps away, allowing ample time for Lukas to familiarize himself with the flowers in question. My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I watch him reach forward and timidly brush the velvety petals with the tip of his finger. His hardened expression relaxes, and when the flower cheerfully waves back at him, the corner of his mouth lifts, softening it further.
God, he’s beautiful.
I take a quick sharp breath, to make sure I can still breathe.
He gives the flower another gentle stroke, then gingerly trails his finger down the stem. Once through, he remains crouched in a silent moment of kindred connection, then after another meaningful touch of the white petal, he rises.
And I as watch the encounter, the oddest thing happens. Or maybe I just imagine it.
But I could swear that the flower stills, then with all its tiny might, lengthens its stem to follow him as he stands. She stretches herself to her limit, but sadly, she cannot follow. Eventually she concedes, drooping in defeat when he turns away before giving him a despondent wave goodbye.
I offer her a sympathetic grin.
I know how you feel, my friend.
As soon as Lukas has risen to his full height, Genny pins each of us with a lengthy stare. “We, the four of us, are bound together by our own horrific pasts. But within this group, we find solace in each other because only we can truly comprehend the devastation endured. And the devastation we will endure. Because the truth is, winter is inevitable. But I find comfort in the fact that we have each other to hold on to until spring finds us once again.”
She glances at the patch of white flowers then back to Lukas. “So yeah. The very definition of being a Wildflower is just that. We’re bound so closely that your pain is our pain. Your story is no longer just yours to bear—it’s ours. And when winter strikes any of us, we perish together knowing we will rise together as well. We are four, but we are one. And together, there’s nothing we can’t overcome.”
Genny’s face splits into a wide, shit-eating grin as she concludes, “Plus, I’m Genesis. I’m the creator. So, you really don’t have a say. You just are.”
I roll my eyes and shake my head.
Adam barks a laugh.
Lukas remains silent, but his gaze drops to the wildflowers before it lifts to meet our eyes. And when he finds mine, I know her message has been received loud and clear. Vulnerable Lukas looks back at me.
And although we’ve always known he would, he now has finally accepted his fate.
As the Fourth and final Wildflower.
10
As we trek back to our fire pit, the cicadas fill the silence with a beautiful symphony. I inhale deeply with the breeze, taking in the floral scent surrounding us. With my hands deep in the hoodie’s toasty front pockets, I glance over my shoulder to make sure Lukas isn’t suffering without it.
His piercing eyes lock onto mine, sending a jolt through my heart. It stammers within my chest, then begins to race. I offer him a smile, but instead of getting one in return, he breaks eye contact and runs his hand through his hair.
I look forward, remembering and replaying the one and only smile I’d seen given by Lukas White. And as the moment repeats over and over in my mind, it dawns on me.
Oh my God.
Maybe that smile wasn’t meant for me at all.
Maybe it was meant for Adam.
I gasp internally at the revelation and glance at Adam and Genny, arm-in-arm ahead of me. Adam throws his head back in laughter at something Genny says, and my lips pucker.
Could it be?
I mean, Adam is hot. Definitely. With those high cheeks bones and rounded lips, his face is perfectly sculpted. And he’s nice. If Lukas is into Adam, then yeah, it’s obvious they would be perfect together. Yin and yang. Outspokenness and brooding silence. Light and dark. Skinny jeans and boot cut.