Escape from Mr. Whitman (Emma and Theodore) novel Chapter 490

When Sebastian arrived the next day, he was holding an enormous bouquet of flowers that he had brought all the way from Capital City.

Weren’t there any flower shops in Cresthaven?

“I want every day you see me to be filled with flowers,” he explained. “Your first sight of me should always make you happy.”

The small knot of resentment in Emma’s heart loosened. As long as there was love, she thought, even the small frictions could be overcome.

For the rest of their time in Cresthaven, they were inseparable. After their visas were approved, they took a short trip to the surrounding countryside before flying to the UK in early August.

The peace and sweetness of those days made Emma believe that the small issues between them weren't really issues at all. Surely they could compromise and change for each other.

Once in the UK, they threw themselves into rehearsals for the upcoming Edinburgh Festival. Emma’s foot rehabilitation also continued relentlessly. Back in Cresthaven, she had only taken a few days off to go to church. Here, she was back at the Wellness Center every day for her Meridian Therapy.

Dr. Crimson told her she had made remarkable progress that month. Her injured foot was growing stronger, nearly matching the strength of her healthy one.

Overjoyed, Emma asked, “Does that mean there’s a chance I could fully recover? That I could get back on stage for real?”

By “for real,” she meant being able to perform any high-difficulty move, just like before, not just the carefully selected ones she did now.

One evening, at the usual time, Sebastian texted that he was on his way. Emma locked up the studio and went to meet him at the university entrance.

But waiting there was Theodore.

A jolt of anxiety shot through Emma. She instinctively looked around for Sebastian. Thankfully, he was nowhere in sight.

“What are you doing here?” she snapped, her tone sharp and unguarded. “Can you please just stay away from me?” Lately, the mere sight of Theodore made her temper flare.