9. Chapter Nine

Chapter Nine

T hey'd finally reached the Conservatory of Flowers, ages after Eva wanted to arrive.

She should've known though, since they had Micah in tow, and he took forever to get ready to go anywhere. She'd been prepared to leave a half hour before Pixie and Micah, but they'd only made it out the door after the pair of stragglers finished collecting themselves.

The Conservatory was stunning, everything she'd hoped for and more. The interior could be subpar, and she'd be happy with the view from the outside alone. The massive white building was framed by beautiful patterned gardens, the colored flowers alternating to form different shapes. As they strolled down the path leading to the entrance, the subtle scents of various flowers drifted her way, mingled with the effervescent green that existed around plant life .

"Why haven't we been here before?" Micah asked. "This is gorgeous."

"Because sightseeing spots weren't cool when we were in college," Pixie said. The ease she had around Micah reminded Eva that they'd known each other for years and had a deep relationship she shouldn't be getting between just because she couldn't push the woman out of her head.

It also reminded her that her phone had remained silent this week. None of her friends had checked in on her, not even to talk. And in a few days, she'd be returning to that life, to Reno. Even though she wanted the house, since she'd spent years making her mark there, without Jack and Sienna, the place would be lonely.

Being around Micah and Pixie had been a breath of fresh air, the connection she hadn't realized she'd needed.

Pixie led the way up the stairs, and Eva couldn't help the trajectory of her gaze. Her gauzy green tunic barely reached midthigh, exposing plenty of her creamy skin. Even after seeing Pixie naked and filled in every goddamn hole, these glimpses still got her pulse rising. Yesterday was supposed to be scratching an itch, but instead, she'd fed an addiction. And she shouldn't be sneaking glances while walking alongside her brother. He was one of the most astute people she'd ever met, and he'd pick up the vibes in a heartbeat.

"Hey, Micah," a sweet voice said.

A gorgeous-as-fuck couple appeared: one a femme chick in a swing dress with curves for days and the other a butch girl with short dark hair.

Micah's eyes lit up. "What are you two doing here?"

The butch girl slipped her arm around her partner's shoulders. "Random date outing. What about you?"

"Here with my sister and bestie," Micah said, gesturing to them .

"Tabby." The butch girl offered Eva a hand. She shook, the grip firm and the woman's dark gaze warm.

"I'm Kelly," the other woman introduced herself, giving a softer handshake and a subtler smile. "We met Micah at Whipped. They serve some of my favorite teas in the area."

"Still haven't convinced them to come for the other aspect," Micah said with a pert grin.

Pixie smiled. "I'm guessing whips and chains don't excite you?" However, when she glanced at Micah, her gaze grew troubled, like some storm clouds passed through. Eva had always been a collector of details, and given her recent obsession with this woman, she filed away everything she could.

"Mmm, maybe a little," Kelly said with an affectionate look at Tabby, who squeezed around her shoulders tighter. The sight of the raw love in their gazes stabbed right through Eva's chest. She'd had that once upon a time. Or at least, she'd believed she had. First with Jack, then with Sienna. Part of her, a stubborn, foolish, impractical part, longed for that. For someone to choose her first, to pick her as a safe place.

Except she'd never felt further from that.

"If you come to the beginner's kink class, you can meet my boyfriend," Micah said, a happiness in his tone that hadn't been there when Eva had first arrived. "He'll be teaching the next one."

Thank god Micah would be in safe hands when she left. After returning home from college, he'd retreated into himself more and more, and she hadn't been there. She'd escaped to Reno, clutching onto her own life raft.

"Fine, sold," Tabby said. "Not that I needed much convincing. Jas raves about the classes there all the time, and he won't stop oversharing about him and Matt. "

Eva shot a sideways glance at Pixie, who wasn't piping up as much as she'd expected. "Hey, can you show me to the bathrooms?" she asked.

Pixie nodded. "Meet you inside, Micah? It was wonderful running into you both," she said to Tabby and Kelly.

"Steer clear of the third stall," Tabby warned. "It sounded like a woman was waging war against her bowels and losing."

Eva snorted at the bluntness. "Thanks for the tip."

These girls seemed like a lot of fun, but the curiosity as to why Pixie's mood had shifted burned under her skin, and she couldn't ignore it. Pixie led the way up the steps, and Eva kept close behind her, almost bumping into her heels. They headed in through the entryway, then followed the clear sign for the restrooms. The interior of the conservatory and farther-in greenhouses beckoned, but right now, she had an imaginary bathroom emergency to attend to.

The moment they stepped into the ladies' room, Pixie gestured at the first open stall. "Ta-da. Your throne awaits."

"While I'll probably use the restroom since I'm here, I just wanted to check in." Eva leaned against the sink counter.

"About what?"

"You don't have to share anything you're not comfortable with, but your mood dropped back there, and I wanted to make sure you were okay. If there were aftereffects from the play last night, or hell, even if you needed a friendly ear for something that bummed you out…I'm here."

Pixie let out a hollow little laugh. "Well, damn. How is it you pick up on things that people who've known me for years don't?"

"Probably because they've known you for years." She swallowed back the "and because I can't stop noticing you" that rose to her lips. "People tend to have an image of long-term friends that can blur with reality. "

She'd fallen victim to that with the rosy view of Jack she'd held on to for far too long, ignoring the cracks until it had shattered.

"I…" Pixie let out a heaving sigh and leaned next to Eva against the sink counter. "This is going to sound stupid."

"Don't know if you noticed, but I'm taking a runaway vacation to avoid my shitshow back home, so I'm about the queen of idiocy right here," Eva said. The coolness of the porcelain behind her seeped through the thin fabric of her pants, but she didn't budge, transfixed by Pixie.

Pixie chewed on her lower lip. "I'm so happy for Micah. He showed up here at complete rock bottom, and already he's found a partner, a job where he truly shines, and as a barista at Whipped, he's made so many friends. Sometimes, seeing how well he fits in makes me feel a little lonely. That's all."

Eva swallowed hard, those words lobbing straight into her sternum. She'd been feeling the exact way all week, displaced from her circles at home and a bystander here. With how enmeshed Pixie was at Whipped and in the scene though, she was surprised she harbored those same feelings.

"Lucky bastard, right?" Eva nudged Pixie's side.

Pixie's lips trembled, but then she broke into a grin, and Eva knew she'd chosen her response right.

"It's not like I even need a partner or anything." Pixie ran her fingers through her bright strands as she averted her gaze. "And I love my job, so no regrets there."

"Doesn't mean you can't feel the absence of people who were there in a different capacity." Eva had first-hand experience. She was getting slammed with those losses hard as of late—her parents, her partners, her old friends .

"Or like everyone's going in their own directions and passing you by," Pixie murmured, clasping her nape.

Eva wanted to wrap her arms around Pixie and never let go. She exuded this pristine loneliness, like a forest in the wintertime, that just burrowed beneath her skin.

"You're worth stopping for," Eva said, fixing Pixie with a direct look. Their gazes met, and Pixie's widened eyes had her heart speeding up. They skated on dangerous territory, translucent ice on a deep pond, and Eva couldn't seem to rein herself in.

Pixie's small grin made her blue eyes gleam. "You say that to all the girls?"

"Only the pretty ones," Eva said, unable to help herself. "Why don't we go back out and find my brother?"

Pixie ran her fingertips along the edge of the counter, seriousness flashing across her features. "Thanks. For noticing." At that, Pixie turned on her heel and exited the bathroom.

Eva swallowed hard, following her. Somehow, their conversation had felt far more formidable than Play Night had been, and they'd been up close and personal then—at least physically. Each step she took toward Pixie revealed more of the woman who had piqued her curiosity, and she craved every facet she discovered.

Just for a little longer.

Then she'd be heading back to Reno, and the reality filtered through her veins like ice.

They walked toward the entryway, where Micah was waiting with the tickets.

"Sorry I got sidetracked by Kelly and Tabby," he said, a sheepish look on his face.

"I'd say it was because of how hot they were, but you're the only one here who wouldn't appreciate it," Eva teased .

Micah shook his head. "I'm still pissed you flew under the radar. How the fuck did I miss that?" He passed Pixie a ticket and then her. Together, they stepped inside.

Micah walked alongside her, so she summoned up the nerve to speak. "Not like we lived in the best household for finding yourself."

"I managed to," he said, a little bite to his tone. Guilt flooded Eva again at how she'd left him hanging out to dry all these years.

Truth be told, part of her had understood she was interested in women too, but why add one more thing for her mother to hate about her? Those childhood fears hadn't been far off. Her confession had been the final straw with her parents and hadn't just blown up her relationship with them but Micah's too.

"Quit the who's queerer contest, guys," Pixie said, an impish grin on her lips. "We've got a conservatory to explore."

Pixie was right, and Eva turned her attention to her surroundings.

The air was lush and fragrant, the greenness seeping into her pores. Carefully curated plant life exploded in a riot of colors. They were in the highland tropics area, amid lush flowers, trees, and bushes, some climbing to brush against the glass ceiling. Gardening and caring for plants settled her in a way little else did as if she'd been a farmer in a former life. Maybe her dreams would seem pitiful to others, but all she truly wanted was a cozy home and garden to tend to and a partner to come home to at the end of the night.

At least she still had the house. Eva sucked in a shaky breath, the humid air doing wonders toward soothing her.

Pixie had wandered past them toward a wall that trickled with water, and her gaze was transfixed. Something about seeing this woman by water felt natural, and Eva stored more of those tiny details away.

Micah tapped on her shoulder. "They've got a fancy orchid. "

Eva followed him. They stopped in front of a gorgeous specimen of a Dracula orchid, and a thrill rose at the sight of the delicate, rare flower. Special. Almost as special as the fact that her brother had remembered how much she liked orchids. Shit, she was being a terrible sister with the way she lusted after his best friend.

The guilt splashed over the growing embers begging to take flame.

"Fucking cool, right?" Micah said.

"Thanks," she said, keeping her voice low. His gaze caught hers, but she didn't need to elaborate. He would know she didn't just mean for taking her to the Conservatory today. No, for offering her a safe place to land after her relationships had blown up—Jack, Sienna, Mom, and Dad. The dominos had clattered down, and she stood staring at the wreckage.

"It's just an orchid, Eva." Fucking smartass.

"Look up here," Pixie called over. She headed toward the next area, and Eva rushed after her. She loved the specimen cards everywhere, bits of information she could file away,

Eva stepped into the next room, paces behind Pixie, which seemed to be another one devoted to the tropics. Micah took the path to the right while she lingered along the left, past the banana trees full of yellow-green clusters. As long as she was in San Francisco, she should explore different gardens, losing herself in cultivated nature. A lot of folks loved the raw chaos of wilderness hikes, but she preferred the order of these places.

The order she'd been chasing her whole life. Growing up, she had struggled against her parents' ironclad control to the point any chance to exert her own had become a breath of relief.

Her phone buzzed, and she took it out of her pocket. The name on the screen hit her like a punch to the sternum.

Jack .

"Hello?" Eva answered. Pixie glanced her way, and Eva made a face and tilted her head toward the room they came from before slipping back in that direction. No one else wandered through right now.

"Hey, we need to talk," he said. Fuck, those words sounded ominous. She braced herself for whatever bad news would come next. "I spoke to my realtor today, and she has an investor interested who's willing to pay way above what the house is worth. This is the sort of opportunity that'd be stupid to pass up."

Eva's throat dried, and she clenched her phone a little tighter. "So what does that mean?"

"I can't sell you the house." His tone was gruff, but the hesitation in his words made it clear he shouldered some guilt. "I'm sorry, Evs. I know you wanted to live here, but it's not possible now."

She didn't ask for clarification because they both knew.

When she returned to Reno, she no longer had a home.