18 Bite

"Felix, you can help me unload the potted plants and bring them over to the pools. Andy's there, so he will tell you what to do with them."

"Max, there's some dirt spilled along the pavement. Get someone to help you sweep it up. And..."

Mr. Garrison looked around his small group, assigning tasks to everyone but never once making eye contact with me.

Obviously, he was trying to ignore me.

But since I was one of the taller girls around, no matter how much he wanted to avoid me, I was in his line of sight.

"And I think that's all."

"But Mr. Garrison, there's still the Rose Sanctuary to tend to. We need you to prune off the remaining weeds."

"But I thought Mr. Garrison's handling the lilies decorations. If he's off to the Rose Sanctuary, who's going to do the lilies?"

"Then why doesn't Kylin do the pruning, and then later on, once I'm done carrying the plants, I'll help her out," Felix spoke up, interrupting the crowd.

Caught off guard by his own son, Mr. Garrison was left speechless before looking at me for some kind of response.

"It's okay, I don't mind."

"Are you sure? You don't really need to."

"Don't worry. You taught me how to prune flowers before, so I'll be fine on my own."

"No can do. I'll help you out later." Felix placed his hand on my shoulder.

He was lucky that I was aware of him and that we were surrounded by people. If not, I would have thrown him flat on the ground for carelessly touching me.

"Since I was the one who brought you here, I can't leave you alone just like that."

"Fine, I'll see you later." I shrugged his hand off my shoulder and made my way to the flower beds.

As I walked away, I overheard their conversation.

"Can I ask you something?"

"What is it, Dad?"

"How on earth did you meet Kylin?"

"I met her in the gardens."

"Do you even know who Kylin is?"

"Kylin is Kylin, right? Who else can she be?"

"Please, please, I'm begging you, tread carefully around her and don't ask her to do stuff she's not willing to."

"All I did was ask her for help. I never once forced her to do anything."

"Then, just follow my advice and stop acting so casual with her."

"Why are you so worried? She's going to be fine."

"She's not the one I'm worried about. You are."

"Me? Sure, Kylin looks a bit rough around the edges, but her bite can't be worse than her bark, right?"

"I can't believe you're comparing her to a dog. Listen, Felix, a dog can be tamed but not a wolf. If you're not careful, you might just receive the end of her bite. And yes, her bite is worse than her bark." 😬

Felix's expression shifted from nonchalance to concern as he glanced in my direction. I pretended not to notice, focusing on the flowers ahead. His father's words echoed in my mind, a reminder of why I kept my distance from most people.

As I reached the Rose Sanctuary, I took a deep breath, inhaling the sweet fragrance of the blooms. I knelt down and started pruning the weeds, my mind wandering back to Felix's persistence and Mr. Garrison's warnings. They didn't know the half of it.

With each snip of the shears, I pushed away the memories that threatened to surface. Here, among the roses, I could almost find peace. Almost.

"Hey," Felix's voice interrupted my thoughts. He stood there, holding a small tray with a pitcher of lemonade and two glasses. "Thought you might need a break."

I raised an eyebrow but took the glass he offered. "Thanks."

We sat in silence for a moment, sipping the cool drink. Felix seemed lost in thought, and I wondered if he was finally taking his father's advice to heart.

"You know," he began hesitantly, "my dad worries a lot. But I think you're not as scary as he makes you out to be."

I smirked, unable to help myself. "Oh, you think so, huh?"

Felix laughed, the sound light and genuine. "Yeah, I do."

I didn't respond, but a small part of me appreciated his attempt to bridge the gap between us. Maybe, just maybe, Felix wasn't so bad after all.

"Alright," I said, standing up and brushing off my knees. "Let's get back to work. These roses aren't going to prune themselves."

Felix grinned and followed suit, and for the first time in a long while, I felt a hint of camaraderie.

Maybe this place wasn't entirely hopeless. 🌹

4o