LOVE WAS NEVER IN THE CONTRACT

Chapter One ‎ ‎The End of Something ‎ ‎"Amaya." ‎ ‎Her manager's voice was softer than usual. ‎ ‎That was worse. ‎ ‎If he had been angry, she could have defended herself. If he had been cold, she could have hated him for it. ‎ ‎But sympathy? ‎ ‎Sympathy meant she had already lost. ‎ ‎"I tried," he said. ‎ ‎She forced a small smile. ‎ ‎"I know." ‎ ‎He sighed and leaned back in his chair. ‎ ‎"You were one of our best employees." ‎ ‎The sentence hurt more than she expected. ‎ ‎Were. ‎ ‎Past tense. Amaya Rossi learned that losing everything did not happen all at once. ‎ ‎It happened quietly. ‎A manager who suddenly avoided eye contact. ‎ ‎A hospital staff or security guard who looked at her with pity. ‎ ‎She stared at the envelope sitting on the polished desk in front of her, her fingers resting on the edge but refusing to open it. ‎ ‎She already knew. ‎ ‎The words were unnecessary. ‎ ‎Amaya looked around the office she had spent years trying to build a future in. ‎ ‎Sterling Crown Bank was everything she had worked for. ‎ ‎A stable job. ‎ ‎A good reputation. ‎ ‎A way to prove that she was more than the girl who spent her younger years watching hospital bills pile up while praying for miracles. ‎ ‎Until Carter Jones walked into her life. ‎ ‎Until he became the person who saved her. ‎ ‎And eventually... ‎ ‎The person she needed saving from. ‎ ‎"I can't keep defending you," her manager continued carefully. "Not when a customer complaint turns into a scene every other week." ‎ ‎Her throat tightened. ‎ ‎"He isn't always like that." ‎ ‎The words left her mouth before she could stop them. ‎ ‎Her manager looked at her sadly. ‎ ‎That look said everything. ‎ ‎Even she didn't believe herself anymore. ‎ ‎"He came here, shouted at security and accused you of things in front of clients." He said quietly ‎ ‎Amaya looked down. ‎ ‎She remembered. ‎ ‎The embarrassment. ‎ ‎The whispers. ‎ ‎The way people stared. ‎ ‎The way Carter smiled afterward and told her he was only protecting what belonged to him. ‎ ‎"I understand," she whispered. ‎ ‎Her manager pushed the envelope toward her. ‎ ‎"I wish I was telling you this under different circumstances." ‎ ‎Amaya took it. ‎ ‎Something better. ‎ ‎She wished she knew what that looked like. ‎ ‎--- ‎ ‎The apartment was silent when she returned. ‎ ‎Too silent. ‎ ‎For a moment, Amaya allowed herself to breathe. ‎ ‎No shouting. ‎ ‎No accusations. ‎ ‎No Carter asking why she was late. ‎ ‎Then she saw his shoes near the door. ‎ ‎Her stomach dropped. ‎ ‎"I'm home," she called softly. ‎ ‎No answer. ‎ ‎She slowly placed her bag down. ‎ ‎"Carter?" ‎ ‎A glass touched the table somewhere in the living room. ‎ ‎Then his voice came. ‎ ‎"You lost your job." ‎ ‎It wasn't a question. ‎ ‎Amaya froze. ‎ ‎"How did you know?" ‎ ‎He stepped into view. ‎ ‎Twenty-nine years old, but for half a second, she saw the boy who held her hand outside the hospital room. ‎ ‎The man who once made her heart skip whenever she saw him at school. ‎ ‎The man who once sat beside her in a hospital waiting room and promised her everything would be okay. ‎ ‎The man who paid for her mother's treatment when she had nowhere else to turn. ‎ ‎The man she thought was her miracle. ‎ ‎Now he looked at her like she was a problem he had to solve. ‎ ‎"Your manager called." ‎ ‎Her heart sank. ‎ ‎"You called my manager?" ‎ ‎Carter shrugged. ‎ ‎"Someone had to explain things." ‎ ‎"Explain what?" ‎ ‎His expression changed. ‎ ‎"You really want to do this?" ‎ ‎Amaya said nothing. ‎ ‎That was usually safer. ‎ ‎He walked closer. ‎ ‎"You've been acting different lately." ‎ ‎"I lost my job today." ‎ ‎"And somehow you're making this about you." ‎ ‎She closed her eyes. ‎ ‎There it was. ‎ ‎The twist. ‎ ‎The shift. ‎ ‎Somehow, everything always became her fault. ‎ ‎"I need time to figure things out." ‎ ‎Carter laughed quietly. ‎ ‎"Figure things out?" ‎ ‎He looked around their apartment. ‎ ‎"You think you would even have this life without me? You became distant after getting the job.......the job I found for you" ‎ ‎The words hit exactly where he intended. ‎ ‎ ‎A part of her still remembered the man who helped her. ‎ ‎The man who sat with her while her mother fought for every breath. ‎ ‎The man who paid the hospital bills. ‎ ‎The man she once loved. ‎ ‎But she was slowly realizing something terrifying. ‎ ‎Someone could save you once... ‎ ‎and still hurt you later. ‎ ‎"I need some space," she said. ‎ ‎The room went quiet. ‎ ‎Carter stared at her. ‎ ‎Then smiled. ‎ ‎A smile that made her wish he had yelled instead. ‎ ‎"Space?" ‎ ‎Amaya didn't answer. ‎ ‎"After everything I did for you?" ‎ ‎Her chest tightened. ‎ ‎There it was. ‎ ‎The debt. ‎ ‎The invisible chain. ‎ ‎"You don't get to leave after I saved you." ‎ ‎Amaya wondered if she had confused gratitude with love. ‎ ‎"Will you eat pizza? I ordered " ‎ ‎Her throat tightened ‎ ‎He always did this try to right his very wrong with a basic thing ‎ ‎"I'm not hungry " ‎ ‎I was already tired and couldn't deal with more drama. ‎ ‎But I couldn't add that part since I wasn't up to drama this evening . ‎ ‎"Do you boo" ‎ ‎He said whilst slamming the door and retreating back into the room. ‎ ‎Crashing on the sofa I let out a deep breathe and looked at the place that once felt like home to me. ‎ ‎And as usual, ‎ ‎Amaya thought of how she had confused gratitude with love. ‎--- ‎