He starts with flowers.
It was not even peonies this time, he has learned that much. Sunflowers, bright and uncomplicated, delivered to my new office address which means he called someone to get it because I never gave it to him, and that alone tells me the campaign has officially begun.
The card says: No expectations. Just thinking of you.
I put them in the conference room because they are genuinely nice flowers and I am not going to punish the sunflowers for Derek's choices.
Rhys sees them when he picks me up for lunch.
He looks at the flowers, he looks at me, and he says nothing.
"Derek," I say.
"I know," he says.
We go to lunch.
But I watch something move behind his eyes for the rest of the afternoon, controlled and quiet, and I file it away because Rhys do
