Choosing Distance
1178 Words
Ethan POV
I was really concerned about her but she didn’t feel save telling me what’s bothering her.
The meeting was successful.
The contracts were signed.
The investors were satisfied.
Everything went exactly as planned.
So why couldn’t I focus?
I stared at the city through my office window, irritated by the same unwanted thought returning again and again.
Sophia Reed.
A maid should not occupy this much space in my mind.
Yet somehow she did.
Especially after the look in her eyes earlier.
That forced smile.
That obvious lie.
“I’m fine, sir.”
She wasn’t.
And I knew it.
Annoyed, I grabbed my jacket and left the office.
⸻
An hour later, I sat alone in one of the most exclusive bars in Las Vegas.
Dim lights.
Soft music.
A glass of whiskey in my hand.
Usually, this place helped me think.
Tonight, it wasn’t helping.
No matter how hard I tried, my thoughts kept returning to her.
The woman who smiled despite carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
I took another sip.
It didn’t help.
A beautiful woman smiled at me from across the bar.
I ignored her.
Which was unusual.
Very unusual.
Because for some reason, the only face my mind wanted to remember tonight wasn’t hers.
It was Sophia Reed’s.
A familiar voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Kingsley.”
I looked up.
Across from me stood Damien Carter.
One of the few people who spoke to me without looking intimidated.
Unfortunately.
He sat without invitation.
As usual.
“You look terrible.”
I stared at him.
“You came all the way over here to insult me?”
“It was the shortest explanation.”
I took another sip of my drink.
He smirked.
“Something’s bothering you.”
“No.”
“That’s a lie.”
I remained silent.
Unfortunately, Damien had known me long enough to recognize the signs.
He leaned back.
“Business problem?”
“No.”
“Family problem?”
“No.”
His eyes narrowed.
Then a slow grin appeared.
A dangerous grin.
“Oh.”
I immediately disliked that expression.
“Oh, what?”
“There’s a woman.”
I nearly laughed.
The suggestion was ridiculous.
“There isn’t.”
“Sure.”
“There isn’t.”
His grin widened.
Which somehow made it worse.
“Then why do you look like someone trying to solve a puzzle nobody asked for?”
I looked away.
Toward the city lights.
Toward anything except the conversation.
And somehow that answered his question better than words ever could.
The night continued.
The drinks remained untouched after the second glass.
The music played.
The city glittered outside.
But my thoughts never truly left the estate.
Never truly left Sophia Reed.
I left the bar really drunk.
I got home and met the gaze of the woman I really wanted.
The last thing I remembered clearly was leaving the bar.
After that, everything blurred together.
The drive home.
The lights.
The headache pounding behind my eyes.
The alcohol had done something alcohol rarely managed to do—
it silenced my control.
And that was dangerous.
By the time I arrived at the estate, walking felt like a negotiation.
I hated it.
I hated weakness.
I hated needing help.
Then I heard a familiar voice.
“Mr. Kingsley?”
Sophia Reed.
Of course it was her.
For a moment, I thought I imagined her.
But then she stepped closer.
Concern filled her eyes.
“Are you alright?”
A ridiculous question.
Obviously I wasn’t.
I attempted to answer.
The words came out rougher than intended.
“I’m fine.”
Even drunk, I lied.
Some habits never disappeared.
Sophia looked unconvinced.
Smart girl.
“Come on,” she said softly. “Let’s get you inside.”
I should have refused.
I should have told her to leave.
I should have remembered every rule I had spent years enforcing.
Instead, I let her help me.
And that was my first mistake.
⸻
The mansion was unusually quiet.
Most of the staff had retired for the night.
Only a few lights remained on.
Sophia guided me toward my room with careful patience.
Neither of us spoke much.
But I was aware of her.
Far too aware.
The warmth of her hand against my arm.
The scent of her shampoo.
The softness in her voice whenever she asked if I was alright.
Things I should not have been noticing.
Things I definitely should not have cared about.
Yet I did.
⸻
Once inside my room, she helped me sit down.
“You should drink some water.”
I laughed quietly.
A rare sound.
Even to my own ears.
“When did you become so bossy?”
Her eyes widened.
Then, unexpectedly, she smiled.
Actually smiled.
For the first time that night, something in my chest shifted.
The room grew quieter.
The distance between us felt smaller.
Every look lasted a little longer than it should have.
Every moment stretched.
Neither of us seemed willing to leave.
Or maybe neither of us knew how.
The tension that had been building since the day we met suddenly felt impossible to ignore.
Sophia POV
The atmosphere in the room felt different.
Too quiet.
Too personal.
And suddenly, I became painfully aware that I was standing alone in Ethan Kingsley’s bedroom.
A place I had no business being.
My heart hammered against my ribs.
Mr. Kingsley sat on the edge of the bed, still recovering from the alcohol, his usually composed expression softer than I’d ever seen it.
For a moment, neither of us spoke.
The silence stretched.
Dangerous.
Uncomfortable.
And the longer it lasted, the more I realized I needed to leave.
Immediately.
This wasn’t right.
I was his employee.
He was my employer.
Nothing good could come from staying here.
“Mr. Kingsley, you should rest,” I said quietly.
He looked up at me.
His dark eyes settled on mine.
Steady.
Unreadable.
The way they always seemed to be.
Something tightened in my chest.
I took a step backward.
Then another.
Creating distance.
Trying to remember who I was before everything became complicated.
A maid.
A daughter.
A sister trying desperately to help her family.
Not a woman standing in a billionaire’s bedroom at midnight.
Not this.
Never this.
“I should go.”
My voice sounded firmer this time.
More certain.
As if saying the words out loud made them easier to follow.
For a second, Ethan didn’t respond.
Then he nodded once.
Slowly.
“Go.”
The single word felt like permission.
And I took it immediately.
I turned around so fast I nearly stumbled.
My pulse raced as I crossed the room.
One hand reached for the door.
The cool metal handle grounded me.
Reality.
Sanity.
Escape.
I opened the door and stepped into the hallway.
The moment I was outside, I released a breath I hadn’t realized I was holding.
My heart was still pounding.
But at least I was gone.
At least I had left before lines were crossed.
- Writer
