Chapter 164: [Bonus Chapter] Moonlight Cactus
- LUCIANO -
Something just happened, and I wish I knew what it was. Rory was quiet with little emotion when I got here, but now her cheeks are flushed and she can’t seem to handle looking at me.
I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
Since she offered for me to choose her dishes, I give her a little of all three antipasti. One fried Sicilian rice ball, one meatball, and one thin slice of veal tenderloin with fried capers. If she likes one of them more than the others, there is always more. But at least this way she gets a taste of everything.
"I’ll get a few more plates," I tell her, realizing that not all of this is going to fit on one.
When she doesn’t argue, I get up and then stop short of the door.
"Would you like something to drink?" I call back, and she turns.
"Oh, sure. Water." She gives me a small smile, and my hard outer shell chips away just a little bit. I feel it crumble. Because while it may be small, that smile is genuine.
I walk past Raya working on her computer in the dining room, and she only glances up briefly. There’s a spark of curiosity in her eyes, but she doesn’t say anything as I retrieve what I need to from the kitchen.
"Why don’t you have Dex make one of these rooms into an office for you?" I ask her.
"Oh, I like sitting out here," she says. "Plus with Rory here, I just... it’s better."
"Doesn’t your ass hurt sitting in that chair all day?" I ask her. Dining chairs are not meant for long periods of sitting. Everyone knows that. "At least get an office chair."
She stares at me with the same expression she had when she answered the door. I’m not sure what to call that look. Bewilderment?
"It’s temporary," she says finally and shrugs.
"They have those cushions, you know," I add, grabbing some wine glasses to fill with water. "It may be temporary, but at least that would be more comfortable."
When I finally get everything I came in for and have the stems of the glasses intertwined between the fingers of one hand, Raya meets me at the door so I don’t have to set anything down.
"Thanks," I tell her.
This feels odd having her hold the door for me... like our positions should be reversed.
"You got it," she says with a grin.
She and Rory have such different energy. Raya is like a burst of sunlight—warm and welcoming. And Rory is more prickly and guarded. No doubt Rory is the one who rubs people the wrong way with her quick, witty, smart mouth and unapologetic honesty. Raya is the people-pleaser who wants everyone to be comfortable and happy.
There is a darkness to Rory’s personality that I can identify with. My world often feels like nothing but darkness, so finding a piece of that same intensity wrapped in something so fascinating and beautiful is like finding a slice that’s been carved out of my own heart.
My instinct is to gather up Rory’s pieces, put them back together, and then slide her back into my heart where she obviously belongs. I know the shape she makes when she’s whole will be the same shape that I’m missing.
"Have you heard of this flower that only blooms for one night once a year?" I ask her conversationally as I set the water and plates down.
Rory looks at me with eyes slightly wider than what’s normal, but at least she’s looking at me. Do both Gray sisters think I’m crazy?
"No," she says between bites of food. It looks like she tried the veal first.
"It’s actually a cactus in Central and South America. It’s named after the goddess Selene," I tell her.
"Greek goddess of the moon," she says. This time her gaze stays on me.
"Right." I’m fighting a smile now that I’ve earned her attention. "They call it the moonlight cactus. And it’s actually really wild looking. The outer petals almost look like orange teeth or spikes, but then there’s this inner delicate white part. I suppose the whole flower is delicate, but part of it tries to look dangerous at least."
While I’m explaining this bizarre flower, I plate small portions of the three main dishes and offer it to her.
"They bloom at dusk and wilt before sunrise. Crazy, right?"
"Why are you telling me this?" She asks, taking a drink of her water.
"I just thought it was interesting. It’s rare and..." I shrug, trailing off.
"And what?" Her eyebrows raise in a challenging way that makes me feel like I’ve won something for bringing some of that fire of hers back.
"And beautiful."
This time I earn a little suspicious glare, but a fresh blush begins staining her cheeks.
"Did you make that up?" She asks, avoiding my eyes again. When she takes another bite of food, her mood visibly lifts.
I wonder if it’s possible to only have conversations with her while she’s eating. The food is a great buffer. Can a relationship survive like that?
"No, I didn’t make it up," I chuckle now, not hiding it. "It’s a real flower. I swear."
"Why would any flower bloom at night? It needs to be pollinated. Bees aren’t out at night. Flies aren’t out at night."
"Bats and moths are pollinators, too," I tell her and watch her brow pinch in the most adorable way.
"Are you comparing me to this flower, Luciano?" She asks, slicing through the metaphor and getting straight to the root.
"I’m not sure there is anything that would compare to you, Lorelei," I say, only holding her gaze for a moment more before I concentrate instead on my food.
I don’t want her to think I’m teasing her. I’m not. She is rare and beautiful just like Selenicereus flower. More so even, because unlike the moonlight cactus that has many neighboring blooms all of the same name and description, there is only one Lorelei Gray.
"You don’t know me," Rory says quietly. And I wish she would hurry up and take another bite of her meal so that the sudden dip in her mood would be reversed.
"I’d like to," I reply.
Her lips purse together as she studies all of the food laid out in front of her.
"You’re a lot different than I thought," she says on a sigh, eyes cutting to mine. "You’re wearing jeans and talking about rare flowers and your hair is crazy."
I laugh and reach up to rake a hand through my hair and wonder if it’s possible that I’ve ever blushed before. This might be the first time.
"Well I guess you don’t know me either," I offer back.
"I guess not," she agrees, and the slightest smile curves the corner of her lips before she starts eating again.
