NEIL
The office felt the same.
Nothing had changed.
Same desks.
Same screens.
Same rhythm of people pretending to be busier than they were.
And yet—
something was off.
I didn’t look at her.
I didn’t need to.
The silence where there should have been tension—
was worse.
KAIA
I reached before thinking.
Adjusted a file on the table.
Then stopped.
That wasn’t mine.
I pulled my hand back.
Too quickly.
He noticed.
Of course he did.
NEIL
She didn’t look at me.
But she reacted—
which was enough.
“The deadline’s been moved,” I said.
Her voice came back steady.
“How much?”
“Forty-eight hours.”
A pause.
“That’s not enough.”
“It has to be.”
No argument.
No edge.
That—
was new.
KAIA
We worked.
Not together.
Not separately.
Just—
in the same space.
That was worse.
Every movement—
noticed.
Every silence—
louder than it should have been.
He didn’t interrupt.
Didn’t correct.
Didn’t say anything unnecessary.
That irritated me more than usual.
NEIL
She was quieter.
Not distant.
Controlled. It showed how strong yet vulnerable she was. Tapping the pen on the table, jittering her legs. Correcting that wavy hair and sometimes daydreaming with those big black bold eyes.
She didn’t challenge me.
Didn’t push.
Didn’t—
react.
That was a problem.
KAIA
“This doesn’t land,” I said.
He looked up.
Not immediately.
But not late either. With the wrong timing, his face looked a little more charming, those hazel eyes should be a crime to have on such a face. The next second I remembered what the fight was about last night and snapped out of it.
“What part?”
“All of it.”
A pause.
“That’s not helpful.”
“It’s not supposed to be.”
There it was.
NEIL
I stood up.
I walked over.
Stopped beside her.
Close—
But not close enough to repeat yesterday. Her simple sweet gold necklace showed off her collarbone. It was hard to breathe this close to her neck while I was mesmerised by her fragrance and that simple yet elegant mauve dress which hugged her body perfectly was something I was not ready for.
Or maybe—
too close not to.
“Explain,” I said.
Her eyes didn’t move from the screen.
“You already know.”
“That’s not an answer.”
“It doesn’t need to be.”
That—
was familiar.
KAIA
He leaned slightly.
Not into me.
But into the space I was in.
And suddenly—
That space wasn’t mine anymore. His breath almost made me… breathless. I closed my eyes and all I could see was how great he looked in a cream shirt and brown pants.
“You’re doing it again,” I said.
“Doing what?”
“Acting like nothing happened.”
Silence.
Short.
Sharp.
NEIL
“That’s because nothing did,” I said.
Lie.
She turned then.
Finally,
Looked at me properly.
Not angry.
Not soft.
Something worse.
“You really believe that?” she asked.
I held her gaze.
“Yes.”
Another lie.
KAIA
I stood up.
Too fast.
Too close.
Again.
“You don’t get to do that,” I said.
“Do what?”
“Decide what something means and what it doesn’t.”
“I’m not deciding anything.”
“You are.”
My voice didn’t rise.
It didn’t need to.
NEIL
She was right there.
Not moving.
Not stepping back.
Not giving me space—
and not taking any either.
“That wasn’t just work,” she said.
I exhaled slowly.
“It was.”
Another lie.
KAIA
“Then why didn’t you walk away?”
That—
landed.
He didn’t answer.
That was enough. I almost had a mental breakdown inside but I knew that I won’t lose control in front of such an arrogant man.
NEIL
“That’s not the point,” I said.
“It is.”
“No, it’s not.”
“It is for me.”
That changed something.
KAIA
For a second—
just one—
Everything slowed down.
The room.
The noise.
The distance.
“You felt that too,” I said.
Not a question.
Not soft.
Just—
there.
NEIL
I should have said no.
I didn’t.
“That’s not relevant,” I said instead. I don’t know what kind of battle was running inside me, but one thing was for sure –I was hurt looking at those black eyes… getting hurt.
Coward.
KAIA
I almost laughed.
Almost.
“That’s your answer?”
“It’s the only one that matters.”
“No,” I said.
“It’s the only one you’re willing to give.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
NEIL
She didn’t move.
Neither did I.
That was the problem.
KAIA
“Fine,” I said.
I stepped back.
Finally,
“Let’s try to avoid each other as much as possible”
It sounded certain.
It wasn’t.
I turned.
I walked away.
Not fast.
Not slow.
Just— away. This moment. This conversation. And the reaction on his face will never leave my mind. Who knew that even after being vulnerable after so long I would still get a hard reality check from life. What was I even thinking by having a small hope? I felt stupid and frustrated. It was the edge, and I had to end it.
NEIL
I stayed where I was.
For a second longer than necessary. I wanted to tell her. But I couldn’t imagine her spending a life with me. A condescending jerk. It wouldn’t be right.
Then I moved.
Back to the desk.
Back to work.
Like that fixed anything.
INTERNAL — NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION
TO: KAIA LAINE
FROM: NEIL VOSS
Re: Alignment
Current direction requires clarity.
Avoid unnecessary deviation.
— N.V.
KAIA
TO: NEIL VOSS
FROM: KAIA LAINE
Re: Alignment
Clarity was not the issue.
Denial is.
— K.L.
I closed the document.
That should have ended it.
It didn’t.
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