Page 42 of While She Sleeps

This isn’t just a dress.

This is designer.

I’m holding more money than I’ll make this month between my fingers.

The soft red fabric is unlike anything I’ve ever touched, and I swallow down the giddy excitement that threatens to pull me under. No one has ever done something like this for me before. No one has ever bought me a gift at all, now I think about it.

Travis did his best after we escaped the group home, but he struggled to keep us fed most days. There was no spare money for frivolous things like gifts. And then by the time we did have some spare money, so long had passed that I don’t think he even thought about things like that.

Orion has no way of knowing he’s just given me more with the simple gesture than anyone else ever has.

I press my eyes closed to ward away unwelcome tears before pulling the dress from the tissue paper.

It’s a fit and flare style that I would have picked myself, with a cinched waist and a low neckline that will make my tits look great if I choose the right bra.

How did he know this is something I would wear?

Another parcel catches my eye beneath the tissue paper, and I carefully place the dress over the back of a chair before reaching for it, only to realize there’s more than one.

This is too much. Rationally, I know that the contents of this box are way too much for a first date. But there’s a part of me, a part that I’ve kept buried all my life, that’s desperate to have someone care enough to spoil me. It’s not really about the items themselves, but the gesture of it.

I nibble at my bottom lip before picking up the shoe-sized box. The branding has another cold sweat washing over mebecause I know for a fact this brand is not cheap, and yet I don’t hesitate to pop the lid off.

The black ankle boots staring back at me are low enough that I’m sure I’ll be able to walk in them with ease, but with the flare of the company’s logo as the heel. Holy fuck. They’re so pretty I can barely take my eyes off them.

The fact that he knew I favored boots over heels is enough to have my heart beating harder in my chest. All these little observations he’s made that I would never expect a member of the opposite sex to pick up are weakening my resolve even further.

Getting close to someone means risking losing them, but how am I supposed to ignore a man that has taken such an interest in me?

Once I manage to pry the shoe box from my own hands, I inspect the rest of the parcels. There’s a small box of jewelry that probably cost an arm and a leg, and a small bundle of tissue paper that contains lingerie from a store I’ve walked past a million times but could never afford to step inside.

The black bra and panty set is lacy and again, something I would have chosen for myself. Honestly, if he’d sent me off to buy an expensive outfit for our first date, I think I probably would have returned with the contents of this box, and my stomach does another flip.

There’s a knock at the door, and I carefully place the jewelry and lingerie back into the box before moving to the door.

I check the peephole and find the biggest bouquet of flowers I’ve ever seen in my life staring back at me.

There’s no way he bought me flowers on top of all the other stuff…right?

I unlock the door and tug it open in time to see a man pop his head around the side of the vase he’s holding. “Ember Roberts?”

“That’s me.” I smile.

“These are for you. If you can just grab the clipboard under my arm and sign for them.” He nods in the direction of the paperwork, and I quickly do as he’s asked because that vase must be heavy as hell, and he just lugged it up the steps.

“Thank you so much. Hold on two seconds, and I’ll grab my purse.” I’m pretty sure I have a five-dollar bill in there, but I think I should probably tip more, considering the size of it.

“The tip has been covered, miss.”

“Oh.” My brows tug together as he thrusts the bouquet toward me. The weight of the flowers is even more than I anticipated, but I manage to get a decent grip on the vase without dropping it. What a travesty that would be!

“Have a nice day,” the delivery guy calls over his shoulder before disappearing down the hallway.

I kick the door closed and carefully lower the flowers to my kitchen bench, given my dining table isn’t big enough for them as well as the other gifts Orion has had delivered.

There’s a small envelope sticking out of the side of the arrangement, and I pluck it from the prongs. I pull the card out and look over the words with a stupid smile tugging at my lips.

Little Flame,

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