Offered to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter-48. Flowers

[Xanthea]

Asher remained silent, contemplating me as though he were drinking in every minor detail of my face.

His gaze turned stoic as they skimmed over the flowers.

"Let's just say... I've found a new hobby," he said.

I tried to read his eyes, his face, but failed. Except for the soft warmth in his eyes, I couldn't get a glimpse of his soul or his thoughts whatsoever. "Hobby of collecting flowers from the earthly realm?" I asked.

Asher looked at me with a faint smile and gave a curt nod.

"Hobby of collecting flowers from 'your' realm," his voice was just as caressing as the breeze flowing around us.

I couldn't tell if my heart skipped a beat at the way he said those words or at the way he held my gaze and I felt lost and found at the same time. "Oh!" I briskly averted my gaze as soon as I realized he had somehow seized my breaths and stolen words right off my lips.

With a quick gulp, I cleared my throat.

"Makes sense," I smiled awkwardly. "Umm. There... there are many other beautiful flowers in my realm."

I was breathing, but there was a pleasant suffocation in my chest, something that made me breathless, as if I had just run a hundred miles.

"Is that so?" he peered at me.

Gathering whatever courage I could amidst my pounding heart and heating cheeks, I looked into his gray eyes. But that was a wrong decision, a very wrong decision. Asher stepped closer to me.

"I wanna know the names of all the flowers you like. Every single one of them."

With a gentle touch, he delicately scooped a few strands of my hair, cradling them between his fingers.

The intensity of his gaze was far beyond my endurance. My chest heaved faster as I turned around and nervously ran my eyes over the flowerpots.

I could feel his body heat on my back, and I knew he was standing closer.

"Umm. Well. There are many... umm... roses, tulips, peonies, lavender, daisies, carnations, dahlia. There must be thousands of them and each with hundreds of varieties," I said in one long, cold breath. "My house would be too small to collect them all, right?"

I looked at him.

"Well... you can collect the flowers that mean something to you. Which you think might add value, beauty and positive energy to your house," I said.

He looked in deep thought as he glanced at the flowerpots.

they added something to your life?" He

between us faltered and faded away as I felt a little more comfortable in

I said, gazing at the forget-me-nots. "Their presence in my life somehow filled the absence of

a prolonged

have you been

said with a

the companions

shook my head and looked at him as he stood

companions of my

gaze linger on me as I took in the beauty of the

peace over wrong companionship. And I

garden," Asher said. "I'll put them back. They aren't happy to be

a deep breath and kneeled in front

I said. "They just need to be placed somewhere where they can get more light." I pointed towards the other picture window on the other side of the room. "They'll be super happy

wish to feel their companionship as well," he said in

trying to find my way out of them when

us tumbled on the floor as the

around my head just in time, preventing it from

lifted himself off me and

at

said,

broke into laughter. His laughter faded away a few seconds later, but I had to

my mind could comprehend what he just said, he got up from me, and then helped me

he said, brushing off the

a silent gasp, shutting my eyes when he withdrew his hand from me. "The flowers..." he whispered, dropping his gaze to my parted

placed them at the spot where I thought they'd grow

this." I slid the pot of forget-me-nots in jasmine's shadow. "How do you water them?" He

care of those plants and he literally

and then to check on them for

my words as

and tucked

My eyes followed him as

his palm before me. Taking his hand, I got to

be your

"My?"

nodded, tilting his

my mother adored them. They were her favorite flowers," I said,

asked about 'your' favorite

love them too," I said. "Uh... what's your favorite flower?" I