Maria:
“Can we talk?”
For a second, I just look at him.
Not because I don’t hear him. Because I do. Too clearly. It just feels strange, seeing him here, standing at Lily’s door like this is normal. Like I didn’t just spend the last half hour saying his name out loud in ways I wasn’t ready for. The faint smell of antiseptic and fresh coffee still lingers in the air from the morning rush.
Lily leans back in her chair, eyes moving between us with zero shame.
“I’m stepping out,” she says, already grabbing her phone. “Try not to destroy my office. I just redecorated.”
She doesn’t wait for a response. Just walks past him, slow on purpose, like she’s collecting details for later. The door shuts behind her with a soft click, and the room settles into something quieter.
Not peaceful. Just… f
