CHAPTER 11 – NEW BEGINNINGS, NEW TANGLES
978 Words
Emily sat curled on the couch that evening, her legs tucked beneath a blanket as the soft hum of the air conditioner filled the quiet living room. The day had dragged on with errands and customers shuffling in and out of the bookstore, but now she finally had a moment to breathe. She reached for her phone to text Chloe againnot even two seconds passed before Chloe’s name flashed across the screen in a video call.
Emily smiled and answered immediately.
“Hey, superstar,” she teased.
Chloe’s face filled the screen bright-eyed, flushed, almost glowing. “Emily! Oh my God, today was amazing. I can’t believe it… I really can’t believe it.”
Emily sat up straighter. “Tell me everything. Start from the beginning.”
Chloe took a dramatic breath. “So… I got there exactly on time. The building is so beautiful, Em. Like, it smells rich. And everyone looked so professional. I was even nervous carrying my bag; I felt like it wasn’t fine enough.”
“Oh, please,” Emily laughed, shaking her head. “You looked perfect. You always look perfect.”
“Well,” Chloe smirked, “apparently Ethan thought so too, because the moment I walked in and he realized I was the Chloe you told him about, his whole face lit up. Not in a creepy way just warm. Professional. He was kind.”
Emily raised a brow. “That’s just how he is.”
“Sure,” Chloe teased lightly. “Anyway, the interview went great. He asked about my degree you know I studied Business Administration so he wanted to know what areas I specialized in. I told him about my project in operations management, the internship I did, the event planning gigs, everything.”
“And?” Emily leaned closer.
“And he said,” Chloe mimicked Ethan’s calm voice, “‘I believe you’ll be an asset here.’” She squealed softly. “Emily, he hired me. Same day! I start Monday as an Administrative Executive.”
Emily covered her mouth in excitement. “Chloe! Oh my God! That’s amazing. I’m so proud of you.”
Chloe’s smile softened. “Thank you, Em. You fought for me. You gave me a place to stay, you encouraged me, and now this. I don’t know how to thank you.”
“Just be happy,” Emily said sincerely. “That’s all I want.”
They talked a while longer about her office space, the coworkers she met, the orientation planned for next week. Eventually, Chloe yawned, and Emily laughed.
“Go to bed, new career woman.”
“Goodnight, Em. Love you.”
“Love you too.”
The call ended, but Emily’s smile lingered. She sank deeper into the couch, letting the peace of the moment settle in. But peace didn’t last long her phone vibrated again, this time with a different name on the screen.
Brian.
She hesitated for half a second before answering.
“Hello?”
His voice came through warm and teasing. “I was beginning to think you blocked me.”
Emily scoffed. “Blocked you? I didn’t even save your number.”
“Ouch,” Brian chuckled. “Now that hurt.”
She smiled despite herself. “How are you, Brian?”
“Tired,” he admitted. “Lawson talked about you nonstop after school today. He told everyone his ‘new friend’ is prettier than all the cartoon princesses he knows.”
Emily felt her cheeks warm. “That boy is so sweet.”
“He likes you,” Brian said gently. “And well… I do too.”
Emily’s breath caught slightly, but she didn’t address it. Instead, she cleared her throat. “So, why did you call?”
“To ask if you got home safely,” he answered. “And to see if your day went well. And maybe…” His voice lowered playfully, “to check if you missed me.”
Emily laughed, a soft, genuine sound. “Miss you? Brian, we spent half the day together.”
“And it wasn’t enough.” His words came slow, warm. “You’re… refreshing to be around, Emily. I’d like to talk more. As friends.”
She swallowed. “As friends,” she repeated softly.
There was a small silence comfortable, but charged.
“You sound tired,” Brian finally said.
“Yeah, it’s been a long day,” she replied.
“Then I’ll let you rest,” he murmured. “Goodnight, Emily.”
“Goodnight, Brian.”
She hung up and exhaled slowly, her fingers lingering on the phone longer than necessary. Something about Brian’s voice always left an echo in her chest gentle, careful, a little too warm. She tried to push the feeling aside.
Just as she placed her phone on the table, another notification popped up.
A text message.
Ethan.
Her lips curved into a small smile as she opened it.
“Hey babe, just finished sorting out some reports. The meeting earlier went well.
Emily blinked slowly, staring at the screen.
Julia.
The name echoed faintly in her mind.
She typed back:
“Okay. Hope you’re not too tired. See you soon. Goodnight.”
His reply came almost instantly:
“Goodnight, sweetheart. I love you.”
Emily stared at the message, her chest tightening slightly, though she wasn’t sure why. She typed:
“I love you too.”
After setting her phone aside, she leaned back and allowed her eyes to close. So much had shifted in just one day Chloe’s new job, Brian’s growing warmth, Ethan reconnecting with an old crush.
Everything felt like the beginning of something new…
and the start of something uncertain.
But for tonight, Emily let the weight of the day settle softly around her, unaware of the tangled paths forming quietly in the background of her life.
- Writer
