Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 408

“If he comes to find you again, you might just have to invite him over for lunch or something.”

Devon’s mood did a one-eighty in the blink of an eye.

Cecilia tried to tease him a bit, “Grandpa, the guy fixed one street light, and suddenly you're ready to adopt him.”

“It's not the flashy stuff that gets to me,” Grandpa Devon replied, his voice getting softer. “It's how he treats you. Fixing that light, thinking about the safety of the whole street just to walk you home safe. That tells me he cares. And if he didn't care about you, well, he wouldn't have bothered at all. You did give him the green light to woo you. It's not like I’m pushing something you don't want, Cecilia.”

Devon’s words left Cecilia without a comeback.

Her family's opinion of Owen was pretty much mirrored in her own feelings.

“I usually order takeout for lunch. I'll just add an extra portion for him,” she muttered. This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“You'll do no such thing. Have him over. Ordering in is impersonal. Plus, the boy's injured; he needs a proper meal to help him heal.”

Cecilia couldn’t win against Grandpa Devon, so she agreed.

After hanging up, Cecilia first pouted, then couldn’t help but giggle to herself.

Grandpa did have a point.

Owen was thoughtful.

He fixed problems when he saw them.

“What’s got you secretly smiling over here?”

Lucinda strolled over, a playful twinkle in her eye. “I was just about to hit the grocery store. What are you in the mood for lunch?”

“Oh, Grandpa just called. Wants me back home for lunch.”

Cecilia, still smiling, nodded at the flowers in front of her. “After last night’s fiasco, Mr. Malicious went ahead and replaced all the street lights on the block. So, Grandpa's invited him over for a home-cooked meal.”

“As he should,” Lucinda chuckled, nudging her friend. “Look at you, can’t even hide that sweet smile. You’re head over heels, aren’t you?”

“It's easy to be happy around him, until I remember his family drama.”

“Give it time. They’ll come around once they see how amazing you are. Anyone who catches my Lucinda's eye has to be a catch.”

“Lucy, aren’t we humble?” Cecilia laughed.

“It’s true, isn’t it? My BFF is the best, right?”

Cecilia laughed heartily. She was Lucy’s BFF, after all. She couldn’t talk herself down.

“But have you considered that maybe Owen staged the robbery?”

Lucinda’s suggestion wiped the smile off Cecilia's face.

She stared at her friend, stunned.

Lucinda stuck out her tongue mischievously, “I didn’t mean to cast Owen as the villain; it’s an occupational hazard, you know, thinking up plots. I’ve written similar twists in my stories.”

Cecilia sighed, “I can't even begin to understand how you authors think, always so over the top.”

“Want me to have my guy look into it?”

“No need. I'll ask Owen directly. Even if he lies without batting an eyelid, his eyes will give him away. He can’t fool my sharp instincts.”

Cecilia was quite confident about that.

If Owen lied, she was sure she would catch it.

“Alright then, I’m off to shop.”

Lucinda called her husband, and the two left together.

No sooner had they left than Owen arrived with a truckload of vases, the delivery crew filling the shop with one beautiful piece after another. Cecilia, baffled, said to Owen, “One would have been enough. What are we going to do with so many? You can’t eat them.”

“It’s not much, just thirty-one. One for each day of the month. I'll bring you fresh flowers daily, and once we've filled all the vases, we start over.”

Cecilia was speechless.

Under Owen’s direction, thirty-one vases found their place in every nook of the coffee shop.

The counter got two.

He grinned at Cecilia, signaling her to place the bouquet he had brought into a vase.

She did as instructed.

He looked around, felt something was missing, and went out again. This time to buy thirty more bouquets to fill every vase.

Cecilia watched, dumbfounded.

Thankfully, there was a florist at the end of the street, which made Owen's mission much easier.

Soon, every vase was brimming with fresh flowers, adding a touch of elegance to the coffee shop.

Cecilia snapped photos with her phone, and Owen looked on, delighted, anticipating her next Facebook boast.

But Cecilia didn't post the pictures.

Instead, she beckoned Owen over, and he approached with an eager grin.

“Cecilia.”

His smile was as radiant as the sun hanging high in the sky.

“Stop grinning like a fool.”

“I can be a fool for you. You already think I'm shameless.”

Their true selves were on full display when they were together — that was real honesty.

He wasn't like Stefan, all dark under a polished surface. Lucinda was no match for him, utterly charmed.

Owen swiftly changed the topic, not wanting to incur Lucinda's wrath or worse, have her badmouth him to Cecilia.

Cecilia laughed at his comment, but then she turned serious. “Owen, I need to ask you something, and you better be honest. If I find out you lied later, it’s over between us.”

Cecilia’s sudden gravity scared Owen. He dropped the playful act and got serious. “Ask away, Cecilia. I’ll be an open book, no lies.”

“Was last night’s robbery for real, or did you stage it?”

Owen paused, surprised she had connected the dots to him so quickly. Then he felt relief, glad his plans hadn’t been necessary. Last night's robbery was real, not a charade.

Seeing his hesitation, Cecilia’s heart sank.

Lucinda was right.

Owen had orchestrated the event.

"Cecilia, you wanted the truth, so here it is, the raw deal. I had set up this whole charade, you know? I wanted to play the knight in shining armor, to bridge the gap between us, to have your folks singing my praises, welcoming me with open arms. But this morning, I got a call from Jay. He told me he and his crew waited all night, but you and I never showed. In other words, the fake robbery I staged never went down. We actually ran into real-life muggers last night. It dawned on me right then and there, and that's why I had someone go out and fix those streetlights. The darkness on that street was a threat to your safety, and knowing your way home was compromised, I couldn't even catch a wink of sleep. From now on, no matter how late it is, I'll be the one to take you home."

Cecilia gazed at him quietly, searching for a crack in his armor, a flicker of guilt.

But she caught none.

Was he telling the truth?

"Cecilia, I swear on everything, I'm shooting straight with you. Not a single fib. If you've got doubts, go ahead and dig into it. Hire a private eye, or get Stefan to nose around. I bet they'll come back with the truth, clear as day."