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Cassy didn't expect it to affect her this much. What he said. "I don't like it."
It kept replaying in her mind— Not as control. Not as authority. But as something else. Something personal.
—
And that scared her more than anything else.
—
The next morning, she avoided looking at his office. Not completely. Just enough to pretend she wasn't waiting for him to call her.
—
"Miss Williams." Too late.
—
Cassy looked up. "Yes, sir?"
Caleb stood there. Already watching her. Like he had been for a while.
—
"Come in."
—
Inside, the tension felt different today. Less quiet. More… charged.
—
"You're distracted," he said immediately.
Cassy blinked. "I'm working."
"That's not what I said."
A pause.
—
She exhaled softly. "…What do you want me to say?"
Silence. Then— "The truth," he replied.
—
Cassy looked at him carefully. "…About what?"
Caleb stepped closer. Too close again. Always too close now.
—
"About yesterday," he said. There it was. No avoiding it.
—
Cassy's fingers tightened slightly. "…You said you didn't like it."
"I did." Another pause.
—
"And you didn't explain why," she added softly.
Caleb's jaw tightened slightly. "I don't need to explain everything."
Cassy shook her head. "No," she said gently. "But you want to."
That made him stop. Because she was right. Again.
—
Silence stretched between them. Then— "I don't like seeing you with him," Caleb said quietly. No hesitation this time. No avoidance. Just truth.
—
Cassy's heart skipped. "…Why?" That question again. But now— It mattered more than ever.
—
Caleb didn't look away. "Because I notice it," he said.
"That's not enough." Another step closer.
—
"Because it bothers me," he added. Still not enough.
—
Cassy held his gaze. "Caleb…" He exhaled sharply. Like the word was forcing its way out.
—
"Because I don't like that you look comfortable with him," he said. A pause. Then softer— "And not like that with me."
Silence.
—
That wasn't jealousy anymore. That was vulnerability. And it hit harder than anything else he had said before.
—
Cassy swallowed lightly. "…You think I'm not comfortable with you?"
Caleb didn't answer immediately. Then— "You hesitate," he said.
"You don't." That contradiction lingered.
—
Cassy stepped closer. Slow. Careful.
—
"That's because you're harder to read," she said softly.
Caleb's eyes narrowed slightly. "I'm not."
"You are," she replied gently. A pause. Then— "And maybe I'm just trying not to make a mistake."
Silence.
—
That word stayed. Mistake.
—
Caleb's voice lowered. "…And what would be the mistake?"
Cassy hesitated. Then answered honestly— "Getting too close."
The room went still.
—
Because now— They were both saying it. Out loud.
—
Caleb stepped even closer. Until the space between them disappeared again.
—
"And what if you already are?" he asked quietly.
Cassy's breath caught. Because that question— Wasn't theoretical anymore.
—
She didn't answer. Because she couldn't.
—
Caleb watched her. Waiting. Not demanding. Just… waiting.
—
But when no answer came— He stepped back. Breaking the moment again.
—
"Go back to work," he said. His voice returning to something controlled. Something safer.
—
Cassy nodded slowly. "…Yes, sir."
—
But as she turned to leave— She felt it. That pull again. That awareness. That something neither of them was stopping anymore.
—
And behind her— Caleb didn't move. Didn't speak. Didn't look away.
—
Because now— He knew something for sure.
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This wasn't just attention. This wasn't just curiosity. This wasn't just confusion.
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This was jealousy. And something deeper underneath it.
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Something he still refused to name.
—
But it was there. And it wasn't going away.