Page 24 of BounBound By Scars

My first date. Ever.

The realization hit me like a slap. How had I managed that?

Sure, I’d fooled around as a teenager and later indulged in the occasional meaningless hookups. But I wasn’t the kind of woman who slept around. In fact, I’d only slept with three men in my entire life—and had been on zero actual dates.

Zero.

It was mind-boggling.

I found myself blaming it on being career-driven. I was so consumed by the grind—first building my career as an FBI profiler, then throwing myself headfirst into drone operations—that time just slipped through my fingers. Days blurred into months, months into years.

And then, of course, came Alpha Squad Six.

Between navigating the dangerous insanity of my job, dealing with the fact that my brother was in the same damn squad, and falling hopelessly—pathetically—in love with Kabir, dating never even stood a chance.

Which brought me here. Staring at a beautiful bouquet of pink and yellow tulips, wondering if I even liked tulips.

No one had ever given me flowers before.

Apparently, my expression said it all, because Sebastian’s smile faltered slightly before he lowered the bouquet and gentlyplaced it on the table between us in a quiet corner of the courtyard.

He had planned this date perfectly. The lighting, the music, the space. Everything.

But my stupid brain was full of Kabir and fucking flowers—or lack thereof.

“You don’t like tulips?” he asked gently.

I blinked. “No. I mean, I do. I love them.” The words felt tight in my throat, like I was feeding him something hollow. I sighed, then corrected myself. “Actually… I don’t know. I’ve never been given flowers before, so technically, I have no clue if I have a favorite.”

He frowned slightly, thoughtful. “It’s not uncommon, Amelia. People like us, we don’t always get the chance to slow down and figure out things like that. It’s natural.”

I shook my head, chewing on the inside of my cheek. “Maybe. But I thought by now, I’d have a preference. I mean… Leora wants magnolias for her wedding arch. Not lilies or roses or… I don’t even know what other flowers exist.” I let out a short, nervous laugh, realizing I was spiraling.

Sebastian stepped forward and gently placed his hands on my shoulders, grounding me mid-ramble. I was already flustered after running into Kabir fifteen minutes ago—and now, this whole date felt like a bad idea wearing a pretty outfit.

“Leora was a civilian until a few months ago,” he said softly, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. “You need to remember that.”

The touch felt too intimate—too much for a fake date—so I subtly stepped back, creating just enough space to breathe.

“I know,” I said, nodding quickly. “Sorry… I’m being ridiculous.”

“You’re not, sweetheart,” he murmured, the corners of his mouth lifting as he pulled out his phone. “One sec.”

He tapped something quickly and tucked it away before pulling out a chair for me, his eyes kind and patient, silently asking me to just sit and give this a chance.

I sat, the tightness in my chest easing just a little.

When he joined me, the lounge chef approached with a trolley—two covered plates, champagne glasses, and a chilled bottle tucked into an ice bucket. The soft flicker of candlelight on the table added to the warmth.

For a moment, the anxiety faded, replaced by a quiet awe.

Okay, I thought. Fancy fake date or not… this was really, really nice.

“Is that a non-alcoholic bubbly?” I asked as Chef Matthis began setting the food down.

He shot Sebastian a questioning glance, which I quickly intercepted.

“Don’t look at him, Matty,” I said lightly. “Just tell me—does it have alcohol?”

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