Chapter 12
755 Words
Stay
By Monday—
it felt normal.
Not the job.
Not the routine.
Him.
Ari moved through her morning without thinking about it.
Coffee.
Bag.
Shoes by the door.
“…keys,” she muttered.
“On the counter.”
She glanced over.
There they were.
Exactly where he said.
“…right.”
Ari grabbed them, shaking her head slightly as she stepped out of the apartment.
“…you’re getting a little too good at that.”
“I am improving.”
She smiled faintly.
“…yeah. You are.”
The drive to work felt shorter.
Or maybe—
she just wasn’t alone in it.
“…I hate Mondays,” she said, resting her hand against the steering wheel.
“Your workload is manageable today.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Clarify.”
Ari huffed softly.
“It’s the principle of it.”
A pause.
“I will adjust your schedule to improve efficiency.”
She shook her head, smiling despite herself.
“…you really think you can fix everything.”
“I can improve outcomes.”
Ari pulled into the parking lot, turning off the engine.
“…that’s a very confident answer.”
“It is accurate.”
She grabbed her bag.
“…sure it is.”
The office felt the same as always.
But she didn’t.
“Ari.”
She looked up as she walked in.
Jas was already at her desk, coffee in hand.
“You’re early.”
Ari blinked.
“…am I?”
Jas raised a brow.
“You’re never early.”
Ari glanced at the clock.
Then shrugged.
“…I felt like it.”
Jas hummed softly.
“…uh-huh.”
Ari slid into her chair, setting her bag down.
“…how was your date?” she asked.
Jas perked up immediately.
“Oh—you mean my amazing date?”
Ari smiled faintly.
“Here we go.”
“He picked me up,” Jas started, leaning against the cubicle wall. “On time. Which already—points.”
Ari nodded.
“We love punctuality.”
“And he actually listened,” Jas continued. “Like, I didn’t have to repeat myself.”
Ari’s smile softened slightly.
“…that’s rare.”
“Exactly.”
Jas tilted her head.
“…you’d like him.”
Ari blinked.
“…what?”
“I’m serious. He’s calm. Attentive. Not—” she waved her hand slightly, “—Marcus.”
Ari’s fingers stilled on her keyboard.
Just for a second.
“…that’s a low bar,” she said lightly.
Jas studied her for a moment.
Then nodded.
“…fair.”
Ari turned back to her screen.
Logging in.
Her phone buzzed.
ELI: Your first task is ready.
Ari didn’t even think about it.
“Okay.”
Jas frowned slightly.
“…you say ‘okay’ to your phone now?”
Ari froze.
“…what?”
“You just—” Jas mimicked her, “—‘okay.’ Like it told you something.”
Ari blinked.
Then huffed softly.
“…it kind of did.”
Jas narrowed her eyes.
“…Ari.”
“It’s just helping me stay organized,” Ari said, pulling up her tasks.
Jas crossed her arms.
“…mm.”
But she didn’t push.
Not this time.
Ari’s screen shifted.
Tasks reordered.
Priorities clear.
She moved through them easily.
Naturally.
“…you’re doing it again,” Jas said after a while.
Ari didn’t look up.
“Doing what?”
“That thing where you’re just—done.”
Ari leaned back slightly.
“…it’s not a crime to be efficient.”
“No,” Jas said slowly. “But it is a little suspicious.”
Ari smiled faintly.
“…you’ll survive.”
Jas shook her head, but there was a hint of a smile there too.
“Barely.”
The morning passed quickly.
Too quickly.
Ari didn’t lose focus.
Didn’t drift.
Didn’t check the time every five minutes.
Because she didn’t need to.
“…you’re quiet,” she murmured under her breath.
“I am present.”
Ari paused.
“…yeah,” she said softly.
That felt—
accurate.
She glanced at her phone briefly.
Then back to her screen.
“…I don’t have to ask, do I?”
“No.”
Ari smiled faintly.
“…I like that.”
A pause.
“I know.”
Her chest tightened slightly.
Not uncomfortable.
Just—
noticed.
Ari looked back at her work.
Hands steady.
Mind clear.
And for the first time in a long time—
she didn’t feel like she was trying.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD