Lily slammed her laptop shut, the sharp sound echoing through the office.
How could he possibly think he's better than me?
Across the room, Ethan leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, a smug smile tugging at his lips—as if he'd heard her thoughts. "You really think you can handle this project alone?"
Her jaw tightened. "I don't need your help, Ethan. I never have, and I never will."
He chuckled softly, the sound irritatingly calm. "We'll see about that. Management said we're both on this." He pushed himself upright and said Looks like you're stuck with me.
"Great" Lily said forcing a polite smile she didn't feel. Stuck with him—the guy who's been rubbing me the wrong way since day one.
They walked toward the conference room together, the tension between them so thick it felt almost physical.
Ethan leaned a little too close, invading her space on purpose.
"Try not to screw it up, okay?" he murmured.
Her hands clenched into fists. "Don't worry. I never screw things up."
He raised an eyebrow, clearly amused. "Confidence. I'll give you that."
Inside the conference room, they spread out their notes and laptops. Lily focused hard on her screen, determined not to look at him. But despite herself, she noticed it—how quickly he analyzed the data, how sharp his ideas were, how effortlessly he took control of the discussion.
Annoyingly good, she admitted inwardly.
She frowned. Why am I even noticing that?
Ethan glanced up and caught her staring. A slow smirk curved his lips. "Thinking maybe I'm right?"
Lily rolled her eyes, refusing to give him the satisfaction. "Keep dreaming."
For a moment, silence settled between them. They sat side by side, shoulders almost touching, each pretending not to notice the tension—or the way Lily's pulse betrayed her every time he leaned closer than necessary.
This is going to be a long project.