Something was off.
Riyana noticed it before she understood it.
It wasn't obvious.
Not dramatic.
Not loud.
Just…
Different.
"Riyana, send the file."
She looked up.
Bosco stood near her desk.
Calm.
Neutral.
No lingering gaze.
No tension.
No… anything.
"Okay," she replied.
He nodded once.
Turned.
Walked away.
That was it.
Riyana frowned slightly.
That was—
Normal.
Exactly how she wanted it to be.
So why did it feel…
wrong?
She shook it off quickly.
Focused back on her screen.
This is good.
This is what you wanted.
Distance.
Control.
No complications.
Perfect.
Then why—
Her fingers paused on the keyboard.
Why did it feel like something was missing?
The day continued like that.
Short conversations.
Only work.
No unnecessary interaction.
No tension.
No closeness.
No moments.
And slowly—
That started to bother her.
She noticed it during the smallest things.
He didn't call her unnecessarily.
Didn't stop her when she walked away.
Didn't look at her the way he had been.
Didn't notice her.
That thought stayed longer than it should have.
Why would he?
Riyana leaned back slightly, exhaling.
This was right.
This was safe.
So why did it feel like she had lost something?
"Riyana."
She looked up again.
But this time—
He wasn't looking at her.
He was standing near another desk.
With someone else.
A girl from the team—Megha.
They were discussing something.
Normal.
Professional.
But—
He wasn't distant.
His tone wasn't cold.
He was explaining something.
Calm.
Patient.
And for some reason—
That didn't sit right with her.
Riyana's gaze lingered.
Just a second longer.
Then another.
"She's asking a question," someone beside her said lightly.
Riyana snapped out of it.
"Oh—yeah."
She forced her attention back to work.
But her focus—
Was gone.
Because now—
Her mind kept replaying it.
The way he stood there.
The way he spoke.
The ease in his voice.
He wasn't like that with me today.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
Why would he be?
You asked for distance.
You made it clear.
This is exactly what you wanted.
Then why—
Why did it feel irritating?
Unsettling?
Unfair?
Riyana pushed her chair back slightly, standing up.
"I'll be back," she muttered.
No one really noticed.
She walked toward the break area.
Her steps faster than usual.
Her thoughts louder than usual.
"This is stupid," she whispered under her breath.
It didn't matter.
It shouldn't matter.
And yet—
It did.
A few minutes later—
She walked back.
And there he was again.
This time—
Closer.
Walking past her desk.
Their eyes met for a second.
Just one.
Then—
He looked away.
Like it didn't mean anything.
Like she didn't mean anything.
And that—
That hit harder than it should have.
Riyana sat down slowly.
Her fingers curling slightly.
Fine.
If that's how it was going to be—
Fine.
She focused harder on her work.
Avoided looking up.
Avoided thinking.
But it didn't last long.
Because now—
Every small thing stood out.
The way he didn't call her anymore.
The way he didn't stop near her desk.
The way he didn't say her name unless necessary.
And the worst part—
The way she noticed all of it.
By evening—
It was unbearable.
Not because of him.
But because of herself.
Because she couldn't ignore it anymore.
She couldn't pretend it didn't affect her.
Because it did.
More than she wanted.
More than she expected.
More than she was ready to admit.
Her eyes lifted again.
And this time—
He was already looking at her.
Just for a second.
Before he looked away again.
Like nothing had happened.
Like everything was back to normal.
And suddenly—
Riyana understood something.
This—
This "normal"—
Was worse.
Much worse.
Because at least before—
There was something.
Now—
There was nothing.
And somehow—
That nothing felt heavier than everything they had before.