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.

choose these two flowers because they added something to your life?"

faltered and faded away as I felt a

"Their presence in my life somehow filled the absence of everyone

followed was a prolonged

you been

said

flowers were the companions of

and looked at him

the companions of

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

companionship. And I found peace in books.

put

a deep breath and kneeled in front of

don't think so," 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

home? I wish to feel their companionship as well," he said in his deep voice, maintaining the softness

the curtains flowed all around me. Entangled with the curtains, I panicked, trying to find my way out of them when I felt Asher's firm grip on my frantic wrist from over the curtain. "Stay still," he said. As he tried to free me from the

the floor as the curtains fell

head just in time, preventing it from

and helped

on the floor, I stared at him

said, cradling the flowerpots

seconds later, but I had to

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

time, save yourself first," he said, brushing off the soil that had

nipples. I took a silent gasp, shutting my eyes when he withdrew his hand from me. "The flowers..." he whispered, dropping his gaze to my parted lips, which were

spot

light shade so they'll be better like this." I slid the pot of forget-me-nots in jasmine's shadow. "How do you water

at him and, with a quick gulp, I told him how to take care of those plants and he literally took notes on his phone. "Although... this realm

by now and then to check on them for me?"

words as I struggled to

tucked them behind

followed him

me. Taking his hand, I got to

your

"My?"

tilting his

They were her favorite flowers," I

about 'your' favorite flowers,

I said. "Uh... what's your