Page 59 of Knot Innocent

Bastien sent flowers? I’m almost giddy when I say, “That would be great.”

I do a little dance in my seat, anxious for three o’clock to get here. I haven’t spoken to Bastien since Monday, two days ago. We’d spent so much time together before this deployment that not seeing or talking to him has been weird. Simmer down, Birdie. He may be only in DC, but the next time he deploys, it’ll be to bum-fuck nowhere. May as well get used to it.

I keep myself busy, waiting until three-thirty to go downstairs to avoid seeming too eager. The large arrangement is hard to miss when I step off the elevator. It’s beautiful, even if unusual. The bouquet is filled with white camellias, white lilies, yellow roses, and yellow carnations.

Finding the card in the top, I pluck it out of the blank envelope. The message inside is sweet.

It should have been you from the start.

Wow. Maybe Bastien’s getting over this thinking-he’s-a-monster shit. It happened faster than I would have imagined. I tuck the card back into the envelope, pick up the vase, and return to my office.

Stepping off the elevator, I run into my boss at the receptionist’s desk. Knot, of course, follows me into my office. “What’s the occasion?”

“Nothing special. They’re just a sweet gesture from Bastien.”

Dillan Knot doesn’t seem the least bit surprised. “You two are together?”

I reach out and adjust one of the flowers, nervous about his opinion. “Yes, we are.”

“Good.”

“Good? That’s it?”

He nods. “That’s it.”

“I… well… of course, that’s it. That’s really it?”

Knot chuckles and takes a candy from my bowl. “If you say that’s it, then that’s it. Yours is the only opinion that matters.” He ignores my gawping and raps on the door frame. “Back to work, Birdie.”

My jaw remains unhinged until I’m in danger of drooling all over myself. The exchange with Knot might have been simple, but his words spoke volumes. My boss not only has confidence in my abilities, but I also have his respect personally. That means a lot.

After getting turned down by every organization except this one, confidence and a secure footing were never things I thought were attainable. Despite how I felt, I’ve gone a long way to earn Knot’s respect, and having it feels great.

Even more important is that he approves of Bastien.

The rest of the workday passes quickly, and I decide to go for a run and have a late dinner. Remembering how Bastien’s eyes ate up my body, I guess I’m not running to get cut any longer. I’m running to build up stamina because Bastien is beast mode. I’ll need all the help I can get to keep up with him in bed.

The compound’s secure track is quiet and a little creepy this evening, with a dense fog settled over the area. The track lights glow eerily in the thick cloud, and dampness seeps into my skin, making me shiver. At the end of my second lap, the creep factor gets to me, and I figure two miles will have to be enough. The only reason I lasted two miles in this horror scene is Knot’s obsession with security. Not even the devil himself could get to me here.

On my way back in, I pick up a packaged sandwich from the cafeteria and go straight to the dorm to eat before a quick shower. My phone flashes steadily from its location on the bed when I open the door. The screen indicates I have a new message waiting. Since Sadie is still overseas, it has to be from Bastien.

Hearing from him takes precedence over replacing lost glycogen, and the ham sandwich gets tossed onto the blanket. I rush to unlock the phone and read his text, swooning at his simple message. Sweet dreams.

I type in and back out half a dozen replies, each sounding elementary and stupid. So, instead, I send a picture I took of the flowers with a heart emoji. It’s still kind of weird, but better than sending you too.

With my phone resting on my leg, I open the sandwich and take a bite. The device vibrates with a new message soon after, and I stop chewing as I read it. Nice flowers. Where’d they come from?

The food in my mouth goes down like concrete when I swallow. They’re not from you? I message back.

My phone rings barely five seconds later. “Where did the flowers come from, Birdie?”

Bastien’s tone wasn’t jealous but alarmed. By the time I open my mouth, I’ve moved way beyond alarmed. “I … they were delivered to the security gate. I picked them up at reception. No one’s ever sent me flowers before. I’m sorry. I thought they were from you.”

“Hey, don’t worry about that now. We’ll figure this out. What can you tell me about the delivery? There had to have been a card with the flowers. What did it say?”

“It um…” From the start… From the start of what? I tap the phone against my forehead, trying to come up with any answer that makes sense. “Birdie! What did the note say?”

“The note said, ‘It should have been you from the start.’”

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