Morose ✔️

20

I stared at the bouquet of roses in front of me on the kitchen island. It wasn't big like the one at the restaurant, but a lot bigger than the single rose on my doorstep— and it came with a vase. The note attached to it said, So you don't have to reach for the pitcher every time I bring you flowers, and it was like I could hear his seductive voice whisper the words into my ear. The vase was the main gift, not the roses. It was a promise of a future.

A future I hadn't been able to see for so long, now so clear.

In the days after our weekend getaway, Jesse made it his mission to scrunch his nose up and make disgusted noises whenever I mentioned Helix— and probably whenever Helix mentioned me—, which was both really annoying and kind of appreciated. He kept asking me to reveal how big Helix was— he apparently wanted to know for research purposes— but I didn't tell him. I received a thank you-text from my boyfriend that same night, for not telling.

I kept spending my evenings at the clubhouse, went home for bedtime, or whenever Helix and Jesse both had to go to work. The next Friday I'd finished all my assignments for the week, and I figured I could surprise Helix with a small gift. I made my way into town, and into one of the small flower shops in there. He appreciated plants, and judging by the ones he already had in his room, I bought him a small succulent to go with them. I then moved on to a clothing store, picking out a new set of underwear; black lace with spots of shiny, fake diamonds here and there, and a bigger one hanging down between the cups. I also picked out a silky, black robe, and bit my lip as I went over my plan in my head.

It was silent at the clubhouse, no Max and Jordan bickering on the couches in the living room, no brooding Clint growling at every sound and movement everywhere else, and no Jesse or Helix taunting the others; my plan seemed to go well so far. I made it up the stairs, hearing a slight humming from Jordan's room, so I made a mental note of them being home, and listened for any other sounds, but there were none. Maybe, if I was lucky, Helix would come back alone.

I hurried silently down the hall and into his bue-painted room, set my bags on the bed and got to work. I stripped out of my clothes to get into the new underwear, and tied the robe loosely around my waist, before I hid the clothes I came in behind the bed and laid down with the succulent in my hands on his bed. There was no way of telling when he'd be back, there was zero continuity in his work hours, but I had my phone, he had lots of books, and I took the time to relax and bask in the scent of him all around me.

I'd picked out a novel among his plant-covered bookshelves and was very deep into the story when I heard voices down the corridor. I turned the book upside down and pushed it gently under the pillow as I adjusted the small plant in my hands and moved the soft fabric of the rope to reveal more of my new, glittering bra.

The door went up, and stayed open as Helix walked in towards his clean desk, looking for something. His white t-shirt was covered in black stains, as were his jeans, and I giggled a little when he didn't notice me straight away. He whirled around at the sound and looked at me, wide-eyed. His hand went through his dark, auburn hair, and a smirk appeared, before his eyes flickered to the hallway and he practically jumped the few steps over to the door to close it before he said, "Holy shit, I'm lucky."

My cheeks warmed, and I pushed the plant forward a bit, before tilting my head. "I wanted to give you this," I said, biting my lip and looking at him through my lashes.

"Fuck, I wish I wasn't busy.." His arms flexed as he crossed them, before he looked towards the door, and then back at me. He practically pounced at me, sat himself over me with one knee on either side of my hips as he looked down at me, then the plant, and eventually the book under the pillow. "You've been waiting long?"