PART 4 — Too Close to Ignore
581 Words
The next morning…
She arrived exactly at 8 a.m.
Punctual.
Professional.
Like nothing happened yesterday.
But I knew better.
“Good morning, sir,” she said.
Formal.
Too formal.
Sir?
I looked at her.
Cold expression.
But inside…
Something didn’t feel right.
“Don’t call me that,” I said.
She blinked.
Confused.
“Then… what should I call you?”
I paused.
For a second.
“…Just my name.”
She hesitated.
“…Alright.”
But she didn’t say it.
Instead…
She avoided my eyes.
Interesting.
“Your schedule,” she said quickly,
placing a file on my desk.
Work mode.
She was hiding behind it.
Fine.
If that’s how she wants to play…
I’ll play along.
“Read it,” I said.
She started explaining everything.
Meetings.
Clients.
Deadlines.
Her voice…
Calm.
Focused.
Professional.
But I wasn’t listening.
Not fully.
Because my attention…
Was on her.
The way she spoke.
The way she avoided eye contact.
The way she acted like…
We were nothing.
That bothered me.
More than it should.
“Stop.”
She paused.
“Yes?”
“You’re doing it again.”
“Doing what?”
“Acting like we’re strangers.”
Silence.
Her grip on the file tightened slightly.
“This is work,” she said.
“We should keep it professional.”
Ah.
So that’s the wall she built.
“Professional?” I repeated.
I stood up.
Walking toward her slowly.
Each step…
Making the space between us smaller.
She didn’t move.
But I could see it.
The tension.
“You weren’t this ‘professional’ before,” I said quietly.
Her eyes finally met mine.
And for a second…
Everything felt the same again.
Like the past never disappeared.
But then…
She stepped back.
“That was different.”
“How?”
She didn’t answer.
Because she knew.
Back then…
We were close.
Too close.
“Focus on your job,” she said.
Cold again.
That irritated me.
I moved closer.
Closing the distance she created.
“Look at me.”
She froze.
Slowly…
She looked up.
Her eyes…
Soft.
Confused.
And something else.
Something she was trying to hide.
“Why are you running away?” I asked.
“I’m not.”
“You are.”
Her breath hitched slightly.
“Because if I don’t…” she whispered,
“…I’ll make the same mistake again.”
That word again.
Mistake.
Was I really just a mistake to her?
I clenched my jaw.
“Was I a mistake?” I asked.
Silence.
Too long.
That silence…
Was already an answer.
Something inside me shifted.
Cold.
Sharp.
“Fine,” I said.
I stepped back.
Creating distance this time.
“Then don’t repeat it.”
Her expression changed.
Like she didn’t expect that.
“Good,” I continued.
“Let’s keep everything professional.”
Now it was my turn.
To build the wall.
She opened her mouth…
But no words came out.
Good.
Because if she said anything else…
I might break my own rules.
The room fell silent again.
But this time…
It felt different.
Heavier.
More complicated.
Because now…
It wasn’t just about the past anymore.
It was about now.
Working together.
Every day.
Pretending…
There’s nothing between us.
Even when everything says otherwise.
She turned away.
Trying to focus again.
But I noticed it.
Her hands.
Slightly shaking.
So she’s not as calm as she pretends.
Good.
Because neither am I.
If this continues…
One of us is going to break first.
- Writer
