🖤
Cassy thought she was careful. Careful with her words. Careful with her expressions. Careful with the way she looked at him.
But she forgot one thing— People notice what changes.
—
And something had definitely changed.
—
"Okay," Adrian said, leaning casually against her desk, "I'm going to ask this once."
Cassy didn't look up from her screen. "Ask what?"
He crossed his arms. "What's going on between you and Caleb?"
Her fingers froze for half a second. Just half. But it was enough.
—
"Nothing," she said. Too quickly. Too smoothly. Too practiced.
—
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "That sounded like a lie."
Cassy forced a small smile. "It's not."
"Then why does he keep looking at you like that?"
That made her pause. "…Like what?"
Adrian leaned closer, lowering his voice. "Like you're the only person in this building."
Silence.
—
Cassy looked down at her tablet. "I think you're imagining things."
Adrian chuckled softly. "I wish I was."
—
Before she could respond— "Miss Williams."
His voice. Cassy looked up immediately. Caleb stood at his office door. Watching her. Not Adrian. Not the office. Her.
—
"Yes, sir?" she asked.
A pause. Then— "Come in."
—
Adrian smirked slightly as he stepped back. "See what I mean?" he whispered before walking away.
Cassy ignored him. Or at least… tried to.
—
Inside the office, the door closed behind her. The same sound. The same shift. But now— She was more aware of it.
—
"You took longer than usual to respond," Caleb said.
Cassy blinked. "I was finishing something."
He studied her. "…With Adrian." Not a question. A statement.
—
Cassy nodded. "Yes." Silence.
—
Caleb walked closer. Slow. Measured. "But you stopped working," he said.
Cassy frowned slightly. "…He was talking to me."
A pause. Then— "You should've ended the conversation."
That made her blink. "…Why?"
Silence.
—
Caleb didn't answer immediately. Because the truth— Didn't sound like something he should say.
—
Instead, he said— "You have work to focus on."
Cassy crossed her arms slightly. "That's not what you meant."
The room went still.
—
Caleb's gaze sharpened. "You're assuming things again."
Cassy shook her head. "No," she said softly. "I'm noticing." That word again. The one he used first. Silence. Long. Heavy.
—
Then— "I don't like distractions," he said. But his voice didn't sound convincing.
—
Cassy stepped slightly closer. "…Or you don't like him talking to me?" That question landed directly. No space to avoid it.
—
Caleb's jaw tightened. His eyes didn't leave hers. "…It's unnecessary," he said.
Cassy tilted her head. "That's not an answer." Another pause. Longer this time.
—
Then finally— "No," he said quietly. The truth. Simple. Clear. Unavoidable.
—
Cassy's breath caught slightly. "…No?" she repeated softly.
Caleb didn't look away. "I don't like it," he said.
There it was. Not professional. Not controlled. Just real.
—
The air shifted instantly.
—
Cassy swallowed lightly. "Why?" That question again. Always that question.
—
Caleb stepped closer. Not thinking. Just reacting.
—
"Because," he said quietly, "I notice things."
Silence.
—
Cassy's heart beat a little faster. "…Like what?"
A pause. Then— "The way you listen to him." Another pause. "The way you smile." And then— "The way you don't look at me like that." Everything stopped.
—
Cassy froze. Because that wasn't jealousy disguised as control. That was something else. Something far more dangerous.
—
"Caleb…" she whispered. But he didn't step back. Didn't break the moment.
—
Instead— He said her name. Soft. Low. Uncontrolled. "Cassy."
—
And for the first time— Someone else noticing didn't matter anymore. Because now— They couldn't pretend this was invisible. Not to others. Not to themselves.
—
And definitely not to each other.