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.

because they added something

away as I felt a little more

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

a prolonged silence between

you been

I said with a

the companions of

and looked at him as he

the companions of my

me as I took in the beauty of the horizon

felt lonely. I did. But I preferred my peace over wrong companionship. And I found

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

breath and kneeled

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

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

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

together, both of us tumbled on the

around my head just in time, preventing it from

and helped me out of

on the floor, I stared at him

saved the flowerpots," I said, cradling the

laughter. His laughter faded away a few seconds later, but I had to turn my head towards the bed to suppress mine.

comprehend what he just said, he got up

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

he withdrew his hand from me. "The flowers..." he whispered,

the spot where I thought

this." I slid the pot of forget-me-nots

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

then to check

I said with uncertainty lacing my words as I struggled to

hair and tucked them behind my ear. A playful smile flickered

touched my hair, confused. My eyes followed him as he got to his

his palm before me. Taking his

your favorite flowers," he

"My?"

tilting

adored them. They were her favorite flowers," I said, smiling at

asked about 'your'

I said. "Uh... what's