I scrubbed my hands over my face, letting the water sting my eyes. “Stop,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure who I was talking to anymore.
Eventually the heat became too much, and I shut the water off. I dried off, pulled on jeans and a soft sweater. Maybe I’d go out today just not to work. I couldn’t.
When I opened the bathroom door, the apartment greeted me with silence and light spilling through the windows. Micah was gone. The bed behind me looked inviting. So did my computer on the kitchen table.
I still had a puzzle that was starting to piss me off. It was the only thing that kept my mind off of things yesterday and allowed me to semi-function. Even though I most likely would be looking for a new job soon, I still cared about what happened to Sentinel Tech even with what Mr. Reid had done.
I forced my feet forward, past the bedroom, into the living room.
And stopped, sighing.
Flowers.
Everywhere.
They covered the entry table, crowded the kitchen counter, lined the windowsill. Bouquets in glass vases, paper-wrapped stems leaning against chairs, petals scattered like someone had lost control halfway through arranging them. Roses. Lilies. Something pale and delicate I couldn’t name.
The air smelled like spring and apology and something far more personal.
My chest tightened. Micah had teased me about each delivery. Each one had a card. Some varied fromI’m SorrytoLet me explaintoCan we talk?. None of them were signed but I knew exactly who had sent them.
I didn’t touch any of them.
One bouquet sat alone on the coffee table, larger than the rest, white roses.
I stared at it for a long moment, then turned away.
I couldn’t see him today.
Not his calm voice. Not the way he listened like every word mattered. Not the look he got when he thought I was about to bolt and let me anyway.
Work could wait. Stan could wait. Even Micah could wait a few hours.
But facing Sebastian?
That would break me.
I pulled my phone from my pocket and typed out a message to Micah quickly before I could second-guess myself.
I’m not going in today. I’ll come by later.
I sent it, then placed the phone face down on the counter.
I picked up my laptop instead and sat at the table, opening the puzzle like it was a lifeline.
If I couldn’t fix everything else today, I could at least fix this.
And for now, that would have to be enough.
The files loaded, lines of code and data snapping into place on my screen like they always did. Familiar. Safe. I wrapped my hands around my mug again, letting the warmth steady me as my brain slipped into its preferred rhythm.
Patterns. Logic. Cause and effect.
This was easier than dealing with people.
I lost track of time, chasing inconsistencies, mapping connections. The further I dug, the more my irritation sharpened into focus. Something wasn’t lining up.
We knew it was internal. We’d known that much from the start. But they hadn’t taken the bait.
