Page 83 of Knot in Bloom
Not cruel laughter—warm, slightly incredulous laughter that makes my chest tight with hope I shouldn’t feel.
“Reid Harper,” she says, shaking her head with wonderment. “You spent hundreds of dollars on flowers just to have excuses to talk to me?”
“Thousands, actually,” I admit, heat creeping up my neck. “And it gets worse.”
“Worse how?”
I gesture toward the nightstand where yesterday’s fresh arrangement sits in perfect condition. “I’ve been keeping each week’s flowers until they die, like some kind of shrine to my own cowardice.”
She walks over to examine the fresh flowers, running her fingers over the perfect petals. “These are beautiful.”
“I told you I liked sophisticated pieces that wouldn’t distract from important conversations.” The irony tastes bitter. “The only conversation I cared about was with you.”
When she looks at me again, her expression has shifted. Less shock, more something that looks almost like tenderness.
“You know what this tells me?” she says softly.
“That I’m pathetic and probably a little unhinged?”
“That you’re someone who noticed me. Who wanted to be close to me even when you didn’t know how to ask.” She steps closer, and I catch her honeysuckle and vanilla scent mixing with the floral decay. “That you value my work enough to surround yourself with it, even when it’s dying.”
“Sadie—”
“I’m not finished.” There’s gentle authority in her voice now. “It also tells me that you care more about doing things right thantaking shortcuts. That you were willing to wait and plan rather than just grabbing what you wanted.”
I stare at her, hardly believing what I’m hearing. “You’re not angry?”
“I’m not angry.” Her smile is soft and real. “I’m... touched, actually. Nobody’s ever gone to such elaborate lengths just to spend time with me.”
Relief floods through me so intensely it makes me dizzy. “I was terrified you’d think I was a creep.”
“A creep wouldn’t have been planning to confess. A creep wouldn’t care about my reaction or worry about timing.” She reaches out to touch my arm, and the simple contact sends warmth through me. “You’re not a creep, Reid. You’re just a man who fell in love and didn’t know how to say so.”
The words hang between us, honest and raw. “I did fall in love. Completely. Embarrassingly. The kind of love that makes you buy flowers for imaginary meetings.”
“The kind of love that makes you keep dying flowers because they remind you of someone special?”
“Exactly that kind.”
She looks around the room again, taking in the full scope of my romantic disaster. “What were you planning to do with all of them?”
“I honestly had no idea. I just couldn’t bring myself to throw them away. They were the only physical proof I had that you cared enough to create something beautiful for me, even if the reason was fake.”
“They’re not fake anymore.” She picks up one of the newer arrangements, still mostly intact. “The feelings behind them were always real.”
“Sadie.” Her name comes out rough with emotion. “I’m sorry. For lying, for deceiving you, for creating this elaborate fiction instead of just being honest.”
“I know.” She sets the flowers down and moves closer, close enough that I can see the gold flecks in her hazel eyes. “But I need you to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“No more elaborate deceptions. If you want to see me, ask. If you want to spend time with me, say so. If you want flowers just because they remind you of me, buy them for that reason.” Her hand finds mine, fingers intertwining naturally. “I want honesty between us from now on.”
“I promise.” The words come out like a vow. “No more fake meetings. No more elaborate schemes. Just me, wanting to be with you for exactly the reasons I should.”
“Good.” She rises on her toes and kisses me softly, briefly, but with enough warmth to make my pulse race. “Now help me clean up this floral graveyard. We have a festival to finish preparing for.”
As we work together to clear away the evidence of my romantic incompetence, I realize something profound has shifted. Not just the confession, but the foundation of what we’re building together. No more pretense, no more careful distance maintained through fictional business needs.
