Page 170 of Twice Bitten
Blooming?
He and Cassie got up, and he set his guitar down gently. He followed and found, tucked out of the immediate eyeline, what had caught Karim’s attention.
The night flower was in bloom.
“It’s called Queen of the Night,” Julien was saying to Cassie, drawing her in closer. “It only blooms one night a year. We’ve been trying to catch it the last two years without luck.”
“Wow,” Cassie said in awe. “It’s beautiful.”
The cactus hadn’t given just one flower, but several big, white blooms. They smelled amazing, a sweet, deep floral scent that made Luis step in between Julien and Karim to breathe in more of it.
“It takes its time to bloom when it’s ready,” Julien said softly, like he was telling them a secret, “but it’s always worth it.” His hand found Luis’s and threaded their fingers together.
“Always,” Karim agreed.
Emotion welled up in Luis’s throat. He reached and took Karim’s hand with his.
He was glad he hadn’t missed this.
