Chapter Five: Echoes Between Us
871 Words
The meeting dragged to its end, though Ariana couldn’t recall a single point discussed after Xavier’s arrival. Her notes were half-finished, the words shaky, some of them smudged where her hand had lingered too long. It was as though her body was present, but her mind was trapped in the storm of his presence.
Gregory’s deep voice broke through. “We’ll finalize this tomorrow,” he said, rising with an easy smile. He extended a hand to Xavier, who stood in that composed, unbothered way Ariana remembered all too well.
“Yes. Tomorrow,” Xavier replied, his tone clipped. He didn’t spare her another glance, and for a foolish moment, Ariana thought she’d made it through unseen.
She gathered her papers quickly, slipping them into a neat folder. If she was fast enough, maybe she could escape into the hallway before...
“Miss Jones.”
Her breath caught, her entire body stiffening at the sound of his voice. Slowly, she turned. His gaze was already fixed on her, dark and steady, pulling her in the way it always had.
“Your notes,” Xavier said. His eyes dipped to the folder in her arms. “Don’t lose them. I’d hate for Vance to fall behind because of… inefficiency.”
The word hung in the air like a knife.
Her throat tightened. “Yes, Mr. Williams,” she replied evenly, though her voice wavered at the end.
His lips curved just slightly but it wasn’t a smile. It was the shadow of one, laced with something crueler, sharper. Then he turned away, dismissing her as if she were no more than the air he breathed.
Gregory clapped him on the back, chuckling. “We’ll reconvene tomorrow. Ariana, block my afternoon for follow-up discussions.”
“Yes, sir,” she murmured.
She walked out with her folder clutched to her chest, every step feeling like it carried the weight of her past.
---
In the hallway, Ariana leaned against the wall for a moment, letting the silence soothe her frayed nerves. People bustled around her assistants, interns, executives but she felt as though she stood in the eye of a hurricane.
Three years. She had rebuilt herself, piece by piece, wall by wall. But one look from Xavier had shattered those defenses, reminding her of everything she had tried to bury.
---
Back in her office, she sank into her chair and pressed a hand against her chest. Her heart was still racing. The city skyline stretched beyond her window, the late afternoon sun painting the buildings in muted gold.
Her phone buzzed, breaking her trance. She reached for it and saw the new schedule forwarded by Gregory’s assistant. Ariana skimmed it, and her breath hitched.
Williams Corp – 2:00 p.m. meeting confirmed.
Tomorrow. Again.
Her fingers trembled against the screen. She set the phone down and closed her eyes. The noise of New York filtered in faintly the honk of distant taxis, the hum of conversations, the rhythm of a city that never paused. Normally, that sound grounded her, reminding her why she’d chosen this place to rebuild her life. But now, it felt like a countdown.
---
Across the city, Xavier sat in the back of his sleek car, a cigarette burning lazily between his fingers. The driver maneuvered through traffic, but Xavier’s attention was elsewhere.
Her.
He hadn’t expected to see Ariana today not like that, not sitting in a corporate office as someone else’s assistant. When Gregory mentioned her name earlier, he’d assumed it was coincidence. A different Jones. Fate wasn’t that cruel.
But then she walked in.
He exhaled smoke, watching it curl toward the roof of the car. She hadn’t changed much. Her hair was a little longer, her posture straighter, but her eyes… those eyes still carried the same storm that haunted him.
Xavier ground the cigarette out in the ashtray, jaw tightening. He told himself it didn’t matter. She didn’t matter. She’d made her choice three years ago when she signed those papers without hesitation.
So why the hell had his pulse betrayed him the moment she spoke?
---
Later that evening, Ariana sat in her apartment, a modest but warm space she had grown to love. The hum of her kettle filled the silence, the steam fogging her small kitchen window. She poured herself a cup of tea, trying to calm the unease that refused to leave her.
She curled up on the couch, knees drawn to her chest. The city lights flickered through the blinds, casting fractured patterns across the walls. She should have been used to this quiet by now. She’d built a life that was hers alone. Independent. Safe.
But tonight, the quiet felt suffocating.
Her mind replayed the meeting, the sound of his voice, the way his gaze lingered on her. It was the same man she had once loved, the same man she had walked away from.
Ariana pressed her forehead against her knees. She had convinced herself she could face him if life ever forced them to cross paths again. She was wrong.
Tomorrow would come. Another meeting. Another chance for the walls she built to crumble.
And Ariana wasn’t sure if her heart could survive it.
---
- Writer
