“Are you avoiding me?”
806 Words
Thompson’s breath brushed lightly against her cheek.
Ella froze, her heartbeat roaring in her ears. His hand was still on her waist from when she’d fallen, holding her steady… holding her close. And then—very slowly—he leaned in. Ella’s body was in control , she didn’t understand anything she was doing .
Just a little.
Just enough for her lips to part in surprise.
The air between them tightened, warm and electric. She could feel his hesitation, the way he paused as if giving her time to pull away. But she didn’t. She couldn’t.
Then—
RING! RING! RING!
Ella jerked back like she’d been splashed with cold water. The sound of her phone cut clean through the moment, snapping everything in half. She scrambled up, nearly tripping over herself again.
“It’s—Kate,” she blurted, breathless.
Thompson blinked, still seated on the floor, still looking at her like he hadn’t fully returned from whatever place that moment had taken him.
Ella grabbed her phone and practically ran out of his room. Out of the apartment. Down the hallway. Her heart was thumping so hard and fast she thought it would burst through her chest.
She swung into her room, slammed the door shut, and pressed her back against it.
Kate stared at her from the bed.
“Where were you?” she asked, eyebrow raised.
Ella swallowed. “Kate… something happened.”
And she told her everything—every tiny detail—her words tumbling out in a rush. The fall, the closeness, the way he leaned in, how she’d almost kissed him back without thinking—
Kate widened her eyes. “Oh my God. Ella. That’s… crazy.”
But her voice wasn’t excited or teasing.
It was… different. Too calm. Too controlled.
Ella frowned a little. “That’s all you’re going to say?”
But she was too rattled, too overwhelmed to think much about Kate’s strange reaction. Her whole body still felt warm from the almost-kiss, and she hated how much she replayed it in her head.
So she made a decision.
She would keep her distance from Thompson Hale.
No more accidental closeness.
No more heat.
No more heart attacks.
The second day ,Thompson came back from work and he saw Ella outside ,he wanted to go over to her but Ella ran inside …she froze and Thompson was so confused . He laughed a bit “he smiled” Ella was by the door nervous and in her head she whispered “has he left “ohhhhh please leave”
The rest of the weekend, she found any reason—every reason—to avoid him.
Ella’s leave had ended and it was finally time to resume work
Work resumed.
Ella arrived early, slipped into her office, buried herself in tasks, and purposefully stayed off the fifteenth floor.
Surely, by now, the weird tension would fade.
Thompson, however, had other thoughts.
He walked into the office expecting to see her somewhere—her desk, the hallway, the common area—but nothing. Not a single glimpse.
By afternoon, curiosity tugged at him.
Then confusion.
Then a small, amused sigh.
He finally saw her during a meeting. Ella slid in quietly, sat at the far corner, kept her head down like she wanted to disappear into the carpet.
And Thompson… watched her.
Slowly. Intently.
It didn’t take him long to realize what she was doing.
Avoiding him.
The corner of his mouth lifted.
Soft, private, amused.
He found it… cute.
Jake, on the other side of the room, was all smiles and fake warmth—hitting Ella’s shoulder lightly, whispering comments, acting gentle even though she clearly didn’t like it.
Ella just nodded, enduring it.
Thompson’s eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly.
When the meeting ended, Ella escaped straight to the coffee room—mostly to avoid crossing paths with Thompson, but also because her nerves needed something to hold onto.
She poured herself a cup.
The room was quiet.
Too quiet.
Then—
Footsteps.
Steady. Getting closer.
Her breath caught.
Please don’t be him. Please don’t be him. Please—
She turned.
It was him.
Thompson walked in, closing the distance between them without hesitation. Ella’s eyes widened. Her fingers trembled so badly she almost dropped the cup.
He stopped right in front of her—close enough that she could smell the faint scent of his cologne.
“Are you avoiding me?” he asked quietly.
Her jaw dropped.
Heat shot to her cheeks instantly.
She opened her mouth but no words came out. Nothing. Not even a squeak.
She just… stood there, blushing so hard it hurt, eyes darting everywhere except his.
Thompson tilted his head slightly, watching her with that unreadable expression that made her stomach twist.
And before she could force any answer out…
- Writer
