The flight to Portland was a suffocating experience. Every time my phone buzzed with a generic email notification, my heart spiked, only to crash again when I saw it wasn't a text from Leo. Why did he leave? Was the s*x bad? Did I overstep by suggesting we make the night worth it? The questions clawed at my brain, looping in a frantic, uncharacteristic rhythm. I had never spent a second overthinking a man in my life—I was the girl who treated dating like a low-priority project—yet here I was, paralyzed by the mystery of his sudden absence. It was affecting my focus, my pace, my very ability to function.
"Chloe, focus," Julian’s voice snapped, cutting through my spiraling thoughts as we stepped into the lobby of the Portland hotel. He stood rigid, his charcoal suit immaculate, his eyes s
