Chapter 4

“I’ve spent my life among plants, but you’re the first rose I’ve ever tried to nurture beyond the soil.

“No matter what you look like, you’re my one and only, the one-of-a-kind presence in my life.”

…

I’d be lying to say I didn’t have butterflies for a second.

The next day, Mrs. Gwena from the orphanage suffered a heart attack. The only cardiologist I knew of was out of town. Camden was my only link to the medical field.

Clinging to the last shred of hope, I texted Camden. Fresh off an important plant genome sequencing experiment, he responded immediately despite the fatigue in his voice, “I’m acquainted with Dr. Lambert at the Central Hospital. I’ll put you in touch.”

I clutched my phone outside the emergency room until the wee hours of the morning. Yet, there wasn’t a word from Dr. Lambert.

In between, I sent dozens of messages, asking for an update. Camden simply texted back, “There’s an issue with my experiment data. That’s my priority right now. Just hang tight.”

By the time he got around to reaching the cardiologist, it was too late for Mrs. Gwena.

For the next three months, Camden fell off the grid.

Just as I moved on to a new online fling, thinking he’d dropped off the face of the earth, he somehow crawled back out of the woodwork.

There was not a single apology or explanation for his disappearance. Camden jumped right back into my life, requesting a shot of my long legs.

I couldn’t believe the guy. Back then, I was tempted to tear him a new one before blocking him for good.

However, a fallout was the last thing I needed. In the end, I strung him along while keeping him at arm’s length.

I planned to ghost him until Camden got fed up and dumped me. To my surprise, he became obsessed with the idea of meeting me in person.

It was perfect timing on Cassie’s part to take him off my hands.

The serene smile on my face rubbed Cassie the wrong way as her jabs weren’t getting anywhere.

Just then, her phone rang, and it was Camden calling.

With her face lighting up, Cassie put the call on loudspeaker and spoke in a sultrily sweet voice.

“Hey, babe. Why are you calling at this hour? Do you miss me?”

The voice on the other end of the line was husky and offhanded.

“I happened to drive past the café you said you’d be at. How about I drop by, so we can meet?”

Taken aback, Cassie stole a glance at me. “Huh? But I’m with a friend. I should tell her to leave—”

“It’s alright. A friend of yours is a friend of mine. It’ll be my treat.”

He chuckled, his voice deep and husky.

“I’ve been waiting for this day for far too long.”

[Holy cow! Here comes the showdown I live for!]

[Don’t back down now, girl! Camden is totally all over you. Let him come. Show Poppy what a catch she has lost. I bet she’ll be weeping on the floor soon enough!]

As her eyes sparkled, Cassie shared her coordinates.

Ten minutes later, the chimes at the entrance jingled, and a tall silhouette approached.

Before I lifted my head, Cassie jumped up with a smile. Hey, babe. I—”

Before Cassie could finish, the person pulled a chair out and sat right across from me.