Not Ready Yet
607 Words
For a second, neither of us moves.
The air in the break room feels too thick. Too small.
His words settle heavily between us.
I notice every little detail too, Nova.
My pulse stumbles again, traitorous and uneven, and judging by the look in his eyes, he hears that too.
His gaze stays locked on mine for a long moment before it drifts slowly to the mug clenched in my hands.
“You’re holding that thing like it offended you personally.”
I glance down and realize my knuckles have gone pale around the ceramic.
Slowly, I loosen my grip.
“You enjoy this way too much,” I mutter.
“Enjoy what?”
“Making me uncomfortable.”
That faint smile appears again, quieter this time. Less mocking. More dangerous.
“You’re not uncomfortable.”
Heat creeps up my neck. “You are unbelievably arrogant.”
“And you avoid answering questions.”
Before I can respond, he reaches past me.
The movement is smooth and sudden enough to make me hold my breath. His arm brushes lightly against mine as he takes the coffee pot from my hand and sets it back onto the burner behind me.
Now there is even less space between us.
I hate how aware I am of every inch of him.
The warmth coming off his body.
The clean scent of smoke and expensive cologne clinging to his clothes.
The way his dark eyes stay fixed on me like he’s waiting to see which one of us breaks first.
“You still haven’t answered me,” he says quietly.
I force myself to lift my chin. “About what?”
“What exactly has you so distracted lately?”
“Y — "
The word almost slips out.
I catch it at the last second, but judging by the slight narrowing of his eyes, he saw the answer on my face anyway.
I push away from the counter before he can corner me further, carrying the untouched mug with me like some pathetic shield.
“You said something about a field trip,” I say quickly. “Where are we going this time?”
Ronan watches me for a moment before finally stepping back.
The loss of his proximity should make me relax.
Instead, it leaves me strangely unsettled.
“There’s someone I want you to meet.”
That gets my attention immediately.
My suspicion must show because he gives a soft chuckle.
“Relax, Nova. I’m not leading you into a basement somewhere.”
“You literally have secret rooms in this building.”
“Fair point.”
I narrow my eyes at him while he straightens the sleeve of his black button-down with infuriating calm.
“Who is it?”
“You ask a lot of questions.”
“And you answer almost none of them.”
His gaze flicks toward me again, sharp and unreadable.
“That’s because you’re not ready for all the answers yet.”
Something about the way he says it sends unease curling through my stomach.
Not ready yet.
As if eventually I will be.
As if he already expects me to stay long enough for that to happen.
He pushes off the counter and heads toward the door. “Get your things. We leave in five minutes.”
I stare after him. “You just assume I’m going?”
He pauses in the doorway and glances back at me.
That terrifyingly calm expression settles onto his face again.
“No,” he says smoothly. “I know you are.”
And somehow, deep down, that’s the part that scares me the most.
- Writer
