Chapter 7

When she was young, her father always told her to be mindful of weeds when gardening.

She learned her lesson early on; the plants that grew wild were usually more destructive than those which tended to cultivate with care.

She wiped her mouth with a table napkin and pushed the chair back as she stood up.

"What are you doing here?" she asked him without even glancing his way.

"I'm here to see you." the man said, "You didn't answer your phone, and I thought I'd check in on things."

"Did I give you permission to trespass on my property?"

She shot back at him without breaking her stride toward the living room.

"No. I'm sorry but ...," he trailed off as he realized how much of an asshole he was being. "No, no that's not it. But we haven't talked in weeks-"

She sighed in exasperation, "What do you want, Ben?"

"Your grandparents told me you already have a boyfriend, and I came here to check." he paused, taking in the sight of the living