But she didn’t move.
She just watched me for a moment, expression shifting with confusion, frustration, and something else. She didn’t understand the shift in my tone. She didn’t understand why I needed space.
Hell,Ididn’t understand it, except I did.
Because I liked her too much.
And if I didn’t manage it now, I would lose every ounce of professional focus I had left.
She finally hoisted her pack onto her shoulders, cheeks still pink.
“Trail starts with a slight incline,” she said quietly. “Nothing major. About three miles to our campsite.”
“All right.”
“We’ll check stream crossings, verify snow depth, and map the safest switchbacks.”
“Yes.”
“And… you know. Not talk about anything weird.”
“Agreed.”
She exhaled and gave a tiny nod. “Okay. Professional. We can do professional.”
I looked at her and saw the determination in her stance, at the vulnerability she tried so hard to hide, and at the spark in her eyes she didn’t know she carried.
And I knew, with absolute clarity, that pushing her away was necessary, but it would come at a cost.
She didn’t approach me again as we started up the trail. She didn’t babble nervously. She didn’t fumble or joke or tease.
She went quiet.
Focused.
Distant.
Exactly what I told myself I wanted.
Exactly what I told myself I needed to keep this job from becoming something messy.
But as the cold air filled my lungs and the trail opened before us, one truth settled into the space between us:
The chemistry wasn’t gone.
It sat there burning, just waiting for the next spark.
The first mile passed in near silence.
It wasn’t uncomfortable quiet, just the kind that felt like both of us had retreated behind invisible shields. Sienna walked ahead of me, her boots crunching over the crusted snow, with pebbles and pine needles peaking through, and her gait steady, determined, and focused. More focused than she needed to be for a trail she could probably hike blindfolded.
Every few minutes, she’d point at something like frost heaves, bent trail markers, a half-buried cairn, and her tone stayed strictly professional.
Too professional.
Too careful.
This was exactly what I thought I wanted.
