Chapter Eleven: Walls Between Us
592 Words
Chloe didn’t show up on the executive floor the next morning.
She switched her rotation with Lisa, choosing the storage rooms and basement hallways instead — far from Klein’s office, far from his questions.
Far from the chaos building in her chest.
The truth was simple: she was scared.
Not just of Savannah’s warning… but of herself. Of how easy it was becoming to fall into Klein’s world. To believe he meant what he said. That she was different.
But what if she wasn’t?
What if she was just the next in line?
By mid-afternoon, Chloe had scrubbed the same hallway twice. Her hands were sore, her back ached, but at least the silence gave her space to think.
Until Lisa found her near the staff elevators.
“There you are,” she said, holding a folded note. “Some guy came looking for you. Said to give you this.”
Chloe’s heart skipped.
She opened the note.
“If you don’t want dinner, I’ll settle for five minutes. Tonight. Same rooftop.” — K
She folded it quickly, tucking it deep into her pocket. Lisa raised an eyebrow.
“You okay, sugar?”
Chloe forced a small smile. “Just tired.”
Lisa didn’t push, but she gave her a look — the kind that came from years of cleaning messes, including emotional ones.
“Don’t run from something just because it scares you,” she said softly. “Sometimes what scares us is exactly what we need.”
That night, Chloe found herself on the rooftop once more.
The sky was a deep velvet blue, stars faint behind city lights. Klein stood near the edge, his back to her, hands in his pockets.
“You came,” he said without turning.
Chloe stepped closer. “I shouldn’t have.”
“Then why did you?”
She didn’t answer.
Klein turned to face her, eyes darker than usual. “You’ve been avoiding me.”
“People are talking,” she said. “I can’t even walk through a hallway without someone whispering.”
“And what are they saying?”
“That I’m just a phase. Just another story in your perfect little history.”
Klein’s jaw clenched. “Do you believe that?”
Chloe looked away. “I don’t know.”
He moved closer, slowly, until they stood only inches apart.
“I’ve made mistakes,” he said. “I’ve kept my life guarded, my relationships... temporary. But none of them felt like this.”
“And what is this, Klein?”
“I don’t know yet,” he admitted. “But I know it’s real.”
Chloe searched his face. “And what happens when the office finds out? When HR comes knocking? When your investors start whispering that the billionaire CEO is getting too involved with a cleaner?”
“I deal with it,” he said simply. “But I won’t walk away from you to protect a reputation I don’t even care about.”
For a second, her heart fluttered. But she swallowed it down.
“You can afford to take risks. I can’t.”
“I’m not asking you to risk everything,” he said gently. “Just… trust me a little.”
Silence stretched between them.
Finally, Chloe whispered, “One step at a time.”
Klein nodded.
“One step at a time,” he echoed.
And in the cool night air, with stars above and questions between them, Chloe felt the first crack form in the wall she’d built around her heart.
- Writer
