Regret Came Too Late

In Ethan's sight, a slim silhouette broke through the sea of white, the crimson flower in her hand burning like a tiny flame.

Grace went into the car, shaking the snow from her hair before pulling the door shut.

She immediately held out the magnolia to him.

Ethan didn't reach for it. His gaze stayed locked on the petals, on the snow melting slowly there.

Grace thought he hesitated because of the cold and leaned in to brush the snow away, only to be stopped by his question.

"What if this tree belonged to someone else?"

Without missing a beat, she answered, "When I pick them, they become yours."

Just as Ethan reached out, her words caught him off guard. His hand curled into a fist, and the veins on the back became rigid.

Grace, noticing his strange reaction, quickly asked, "What's wrong?"

He ducked his head and hummed quietly before taking the magnolia carefully.

"Thank you," he added in a soft voice.

Grace could tell that his mood had brightened.

She scrambled to the driver's seat, starting the car with quick, nervous moments, afraid he would change his mind and ask for something else.

As the car kicked into gear, the soft fragrance of magnolias from the back seat brushed against her senses.

"Do you like magnolias, Mr. Henderson? How special. Most people just see the winter's blank whiteness, but hidden inside... there's this bold flash of red, like..."

Realizing her words might be stepping over a line, she clamped her mouth shut. Ethan was a lot like winter itself. On the surface, he was cold and unapproachable -yet the moment he fell sick, he asked for flowers.

The contrast was almost ridiculous.

said softly. "No one's ever given me

and Grace

least he seemed more like

smiled faintly and floored the

your people at Druville and have them send a helicopter. With the roads blocked, there's no way out. And

worried

Her smile faltered.

weirdest feeling about him right now—not bad, just... unfamiliar. Wasn't

I

she realized they had absolutely nothing to show for the trip.

but ruins. If you had told us

wouldn't have dragged you all the way out here while you were

nose, a faint smile brushing across his

"I didn't know."

Grace went silent immediately.

they didn't know. Perhaps he had only passed by that spot

rearview mirror, and their

it back and

to say?"

talking about it with my boyfriend once when we

and patchy, she couldn't

have to check with

eyes, his Adam's

magnolias. Your boyfriend had

him a sidelong look,

that your way of complimenting yourself,

enough to almost snap the stem- before he caught himself

hit Grace then that what she had just said might have sounded wrong. She rushed to add, "I

lowered his gaze, running a light fingertip across

should stay with him

nothing, eyes locked