Chapter 51. The Comforting Scent of the Ocean

ROSETTE

The first thing that came to my mind when I saw the rose was…

“Axel,” I whispered as I slowly bent and picked up the box and the rose. I raised it to my nose, inhaling and his voice filled my head.

“A rose for my Rose.”

A lump formed in my throat. God, I missed him. I missed his silliness and his ridiculous words that left me heated. I missed how he looked at me. How he… How he touches me.

I missed him. But I saw none of that Axel when I looked into his eyes last night.

I took the box inside, eager to see what was inside. I opened it, and quickly read the note, but my face fell when I read the content.

“A little gift from your new next-door neighbor,” it reads. “I hope you enjoy it. I find the smell of the sea comforting, and I decided to share that comfort.”

I dropped the note and looked into the box. It was a candle. A large, scented candle. I lit it, sitting carefully on the couch and wincing, but that pain immediately clear