Hatred With Benefits

F O R T Y - S E V E N

EVA.

My eyes go wide as I look around us in a frantic state. "Where?" I crease my brows when I find the man

nowhere in sight and Emerson laughs from his seat.

Realising the prank he just pulled on me, I frown as I look back at him. "You're fucking insane. "

"I was hoping you would dodge your head to hide so you would end up with your face in my pants. " He

confesses as he starts to drive and I say, "You could have said you want me to suck your dick, Ford. "

"Never going to be straightforward with you, Carson. " He responds as he drops his other hand to the

radio and tunes up the volume of the music blaring through the speaker.

"I could do that. Only if you can control your hold. " I tell him and Emerson looks away from the road to

take one glance at me before looking back to his front and I watch the bob in his throat shift from a

gulp.

"Would rather have that for later. " He says, dismissing the idea and I let out a chuckle. "Coward. " I

mumble under my breath.

"So what do you know about flowers?" Emerson asks, changing the topic.

"Do I have to know something about them to love them?" I throw back and he gives a small shake of

his head. "No, but I know you know something. "

"How do you know that?" I challenge him and he says, "Because you're the type of girl who tries to

learn everything about something she's intrigued with. " His words are the opposite of what I was

expecting and I look away from him shyly at how detailed his theories about me seem to be at times.

"I know average. " I say with a clear of my throat. "I didn't study much on it, but I do know different

types when I see them. "

"And which type is your favourite?" He asks, giving me another side glance and I smile as the memory

of me standing in the garden flows through my mind. "Butterfly bush. They can be in different colours

and they attract butterflies the most, which I find astonishing. "

"Butterflies are pretty. " Emerson says from his side and I lift my gaze to him before I nod in

confirmation. "They are. "

"I love caladiums. " He says, surprising me and I stare at him with amused eyes. "And that's a lot

coming from someone who knows shit about flowers. Where did you catch that name? A book you

read?"

"How do you know I know shit about them?" He scoffs and I say, "I can easily tell, Ford. "

"My mom loved flowers. " He says, the words giving a rise to the change in the air between us and I

swallow down my throat before I say, "I didn't realize that. "

"I'm sure there are a lot of things you didn't realize, Carson. It's only fair because I never mentioned

them. " He mutters in a small voice and I hum, "So you love caladiums because they're her favourites?"

"No, actually. Allium is her favourite. She said she loved them better because they bloom into a bulb. " I

take notice of the small smile that tugs at the corners of his lips as he speaks about her.

"She has good sight. Allium is one of those I love. " I tell him, and I pause for a second before I

continue, "Why do you love caladium?"

"The shape. " He says. "It's heart-shaped and I find that cute. " He explains and I stare at his side,

fascinated by the similarities I never knew we have.

When Emerson notices my stare on him, he turns his head to smile at me before he returns his

attention to the path in front of him and I twist my head to the side, leaning it against the window before

I lift my hand to my chest to feel how wild it's banging.

More damage than good, Eva.

We say no word to each other as Emerson drives further away, leaving us in the presence of each

other with the soft music blaring from the radio echoing around us.

~

When Emerson stops the car, I turn my face to the side to catch the sight of the botanical garden a few

steps away from where we're parked.

"So I thought you would want to come to the general one since it's larger?" Emerson says, bringing my

attention back to him.

"I love this place! I've only ever been here once. " I beam excitedly and Emerson unfastens his

seatbelt, nodding his head as a gesture for me to move out of the car as he climbs out from his side.

I lose the belt and drape my bag over my shoulder after hurling my hat inside before I move out,

standing beside Emerson as I shut the car door.

"Lead the way. " He says, and I meet his eyes with a bright smile before moving ahead towards the

glasshouse that's filled and surrounded with beautiful, attractive flowers while Emerson trails behind

me.

Emerson walks us past the security and the smell of fresh flowers refreshes the air around us as we

step inside where I consider the home of beauty.

"Look at how they complement each other so fucking well. " I tell Emerson as my gaze moves across Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

the colours of purple, pink, white and red before I move away from his side to take a closer look.

When I hear a click, I lean away from the flower and turn back to see Emerson standing behind me with

a camera in hand– one I didn't notice until now.

"You brought a camera?" I raise a brow at him and he blinks as he steps closer to me. "I heard it's

important for the remembrance of a good place. "

His words trigger a smile from me and I say, "It is. "

Emerson stays silent and watches me for some seconds before he angles his head, "Go ahead and do

your thing; I'll take the pictures. "

I'm unable to contain my excitement as I jump forward and brush my fingers across the flowers while

Emerson takes the images.

EMERSON.

"It's beautiful, don't you think?" She speaks in an excited voice as she turns away from the flowers,

staring around us with eyes full of fondness and the words fall from my mouth before I could control

them, snapping Eva's gaze back to me. "You're beautiful. "

Her smile slowly drops as she meets my eyes before she looks away awkwardly. I mentally facepalm

myself for ruining the mood before Eva clears her throat and takes a step forward. "Can I see the

pictures you took?"

"No. " I refuse, turning the camera to the other side and a frown appears on her face. "Why not? They

are my pictures. "

"I took them. " I tell her with a chuckle and she folds her arms against her chest. "I'm the model. "

"And I'm the owner? You can't take a look unless I want you to, and maybe I would if you beg nicely. " I

tease her, knowing her response to my words before she opens her mouth– Eva Carson would never

beg when I have no tough hold on her.

"I'm not doing that. " She hisses and I give her a shrug, "Then I'm not letting you see, either. "

"You're such a kid. " She scowls and I snort a laugh. "That's degrading; don't you think, Carson?"

She rolls her eyes before she turns away from me, back to her flowers and I smile at the sight before I

lift the camera when she bends over to place her hand under a flower, taking a shot before she notices.

I bring down the device when Eva suddenly turns to me and says, "Hey. Why don't I take a picture of

you? "

"I don't do pictures. " I tell her and she furrows her brows. "Why?"

"I just don't think an image could be any better than the original. " I say with a proud smile and Eva

grimaces, "Or you realized you aren't all that. "

"People will kill to take a picture of me, Carson. " Once again, she grimaces at my words before she

says, "Only the blind ones. "

"You just offered to take one. " I call her out, and she seems to realize her mistake but she's quick to

cover it up. "I was doing you a favour. "

"Your lies are getting lamer, Eva. " I mock her and she shows me her middle finger before she turns

back to the flowers; the smile returning to her face as she skids away to the other side while I follow

behind her.

With each step she takes, she stops to adore the view longer than anyone else would, and I gladly

enjoy the sight of an extremely bright Eva Carson.

While she strolls ahead of me, I drop my gaze to the camera in hand and scrolls through her pictures,

stopping at a particular one– she has one hand to brush her hair to the side as she reaches out to the

butterfly that stays on a flower with the other hand, showing her almost dimpled smile.

Gorgeous. Eva Carson is fucking gorgeous and the more time I seem to spend with her; the more she

grows beautiful in my eyes.

I lift my head to see bent over another one and I carefully turn around to take a picture of us. I'm able to

take the snap just before Eva stands straight and looks back at me.

"Are you coming?" She asks, and I nod as I stride toward her.

~

After hours of taking a tour around the garden, Eva finally requests for us to leave and we begin to walk

out of it.

"You were serious about not taking a picture. " Eva mumbles as we saunter down the walkway and I

say, "I brought it to take pictures of you, Carson. Not of me. "

"Pictures you won't let me see. " She grumbles under her breath and I chortle, "Maybe I will pity you.

But not now, maybe later. "

She throws me a glare before she says, "Where are we heading next? Another garden?"

"Didn't you just explore the whole place?" The amusement is clear in my voice and Eva hums, "I

wouldn't mind taking another. It's fun, don't you think?"

"Not as well as you make it seem like. I'm famished; let's head to eat next. " I say and she tilts her head

before she responds, "That doesn't sound so bad either. "

And as I watch her stride away to where we parked like a happy child that got the taste of chocolates

for the first time in her life while I trail behind her; I know this is one of the moments where Eva makes it

so fucking easy to fall deeper into the trap she has me in. One of the moments where she makes me

want to love her with every damned piece of me.