Chapter 25: Monday Morning
Anna
I stood in front of the mirror too long that morning, changing my blouse three times before settling on the first one I'd tried. Cream silk, high collar, paired with tailored navy slacks. Professional. Sharp. Neutral.
Safe.
I told myself it wasn't about Kelvin.
But the truth was, every thread I wore felt like armor.
My heart hadn't stopped pounding since Friday night. Since that kiss.
He kissed me like he owned every part of me.
And I had kissed him back like I wanted to be his.
I hadn't meant to. It just… happened. One second we were talking too close, the next his hand was in my hair, and his mouth was on mine, and I forgot about guilt and time and the man waiting for me in another city.
I should've stopped it. But I hadn't.
I ran instead.
Avoided him all weekend. Didn't text. Didn't reply to the "Hope you're settling in" message he sent Saturday morning. I stared at it for an hour, typed three drafts of a response, and deleted each one.
I didn't know how to talk to Kelvin without falling apart.
And now it was Monday.
My first official week at Cavendish and Blake.
The irony didn't escape me that I was walking into a building where my ex-best friend—and the man I betrayed—was the CFO and part owner. Of course he was. Because the universe had a sick sense of humor.
The lobby buzzed with energy when I arrived. People in heels and suits sipped coffee, chatted, typed furiously on phones. I blended in, or at least tried to.
My heart thudded louder with every step toward the elevator.
I caught sight of Kelvin just as the doors slid open.
He was standing across the lobby in a charcoal-gray suit, perfectly tailored, jaw tense, hair brushed back like he hadn't slept much—but somehow still looked maddeningly good.
He didn't see me.
Or maybe he did… and looked away.
Either way, he didn't acknowledge me.
And that stung more than it should've.
I stepped into the elevator alone, hands shaking slightly, and forced myself to breathe. You asked for this, I reminded myself. You asked for space. You avoided him. You said the kiss was a mistake.
Even if every cell in your body screamed otherwise.
By the time I got to my floor, my expression was composed. My lips were set. I walked straight to my desk like I belonged there—like my stomach wasn't twisted in knots and my chest wasn't still echoing his touch.
Because I couldn't afford to fall again.
Not for Kelvin.
Not when I hadn't even finished untangling the life I'd built without him.
But as I settled in, I noticed it: a fresh mug of coffee on my desk. My exact order. No note. Just steam curling from the cup.
My heart stuttered.
Only two people knew how I took my coffee without asking.
One of them wasn't in this city anymore.
The other was Kelvin.
And even though he hadn't looked at me in the lobby…
Even though I was trying to keep my distance…
I curled my hands around the cup like it was a lifeline.
Because maybe… just maybe… I wasn't ready to let him go either.