The morning felt heavier than usual. Naya woke to an apartment that felt… still. Not quiet in a peaceful way, but like the air was holding its breath. She moved through her routine, dressed for work, and tried not to think about the slam of the door last night or the echo of Liam's voice.
By the time she got to Evercrest, the day was already in motion. People moved briskly between desks, voices low but purposeful.
She settled at her desk and began work for the day. Hours later, halfway through answering emails, a familiar shadow fell across her desk.
Celeste leaned against the edge of Naya's desk, her perfectly manicured nails drumming lightly on the surface. "Rough night?" she asked, her tone casual but her smile a little too knowing.
Naya glanced up from her screen. "No. Why?"
"You just seem… off," Celeste said, tilting her head in mock concern. "I mean, you're usually so focused, but today…" She let the sentence trail off as if she didn't want to say more.
"I'm fine," Naya replied, keeping her voice even as she returned her attention to the open document on her laptop.
Celeste shrugged, but lingered. "If you say so. Just… wouldn't want Caldwell to think you're distracted. Not with the Marigold account hanging in the balance."
Naya's jaw tightened, but she forced a polite smile. "Thanks for the concern. I'll keep that in mind."
Celeste gave a saccharine smile and finally walked away, leaving behind the faint scent of expensive perfume and a hint of satisfaction at having planted the seed.
The rest of the day passed in a steady blur. As the office thinned out, Naya gathered the last of her things, shutting down her computer with a sigh. The quiet hum of the space after hours was almost soothing. She slipped her bag over her shoulder and stepped out into the soft evening air.
And froze.
Adrian was leaning against a sleek black car parked by the curb, one ankle crossed over the other, scrolling on his phone. Even from a distance, there was something annoyingly self-assured about him, like he'd been standing there forever, waiting for her to notice.
She glanced the other way and started walking in the opposite direction.
"Running away from me now?" His voice, warm and amused, carried across the space.
Caught. She turned, lifting a brow. "I wasn't running. Just… walking briskly."
Adrian pushed off the car, sliding his hands into his pockets as he approached. "Right. In the opposite direction from me. Total coincidence, I'm sure."
"What are you even doing here?" she asked, unable to stop the corner of her mouth from twitching upward. "We don't have any appointment with marigold today."
"Nope." His smile widened. "I came to see you."
She blinked. "See me? Why?"
He shrugged lightly. "Last night, we got interrupted. I figured you owed me at least five more minutes of conversation."
"Five minutes?" she repeated, half-skeptical, half-intrigued.
"Ten, if you're feeling generous." His gaze swept over her face, as if checking for cracks in her composure. "Besides… you didn't seem very settled when you left with your boyfriend"
Her pulse skipped. "I was fine."
"Hmm." He tilted his head. "You're a terrible liar, Naya."
Before she could come up with a retort, he glanced at the street. "Come on. Let me give you a ride. You can keep pretending you don't want to."
She gave him a look. "And if I say no?"
"I'll just follow you home like a suspiciously attractive stalker," he said easily, the hint of a grin tugging at his mouth.
She laughed despite herself. "Fine. But only because I don't feel like being stalked today."
As he opened the passenger door for her, his hand brushed her arm — barely there, but enough to make her aware of every nerve in that spot.
Once they were on the road, he glanced at her again. "You've eaten?"
"No."
"Perfect," he said, turning into a side street without waiting for approval. "We're fixing that."
They ended up in a small, warm-lit restaurant, the kind that smelled like home the second you walked in. He steered her toward a table by the window and, without asking, took the menu from her hands.
"Bossy," she said, amused.
"Efficient," he corrected, scanning the options. "I know what you'll like."
When the food came, he served her first, sliding the plate toward her. "Taste this. If you don't like it, I'll eat it for you."
Her lips curved. "And if I do like it?"
"Then I'll still eat half of it," he said, eyes glinting.
They talked about nothing and everything, laughter slipping in easily between bites. Somewhere between him nudging the bread basket closer to her and her stealing a piece of his dessert, she realized she'd stopped thinking about the day altogether.
When he finally pulled up to their apartment building, he parked and cut the engine. They both got out, walking side by side through the quiet lobby and up to their floor.
At her door, she turned to him, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She raised a brow. "Good night. And… thanks for today."
His gaze softened, lingering on her like he wasn't quite ready to leave. "Anytime, Naya. You know where to find me."
"Right across the hall?"
"Exactly." His lips curved just enough to make her pulse skip. "Sweet dreams."
She slipped her key into the lock, still catching the warmth in his eyes. "Good night, Adrian."
"Good night," he murmured, watching as she stepped inside.
Once the door closed, she leaned against it for a moment, smiling to herself. She dropped her bag on the chair and reached for her phone to plug it in — only to see a new notification light blinking.
A text.
Her smile faded when she saw the sender.
Liam.
> Still pretending I'm not part of your life? You'll regret that.
Her stomach dropped. The warmth from moments ago was gone. In its place, a cold, creeping unease began to spread.