At the door, Alex pauses. “For what it’s worth—he hasn’t had a drink or gone out since.”
“I didn’t ask,” I say.
“I know.”
They leave.
I lock the door and lean back against it, pulse loud, thoughts messier than I want.
I still think it’s pathetic. I still think it’s ugly.
But I also know now that I mattered. I still do.
I mean something to him. Something he’s never had before. Something he didn’t know how to handle.
And that changes things.
Can we move past this? Can I trust it? Him?
Is it worth it?
I sigh, already knowing the answer.
Chapter Thirty-Eight
AUDRA
Morning doesn’t feel heavy.
That’s the first thing I notice.
Not light. Not euphoric. Just… normal. The kind of normal that doesn’t ask me to brace for anything.
I shower, dress, drink my coffee. I don’t replay the night. I don’t rehearse conversations that haven’t happened yet.
When I get to the office, the building hums the way it always does. Familiar. Functional. Grounded.
My office door is open.
The flowers are still alive.
Alex texted me twice overnight—rotated stems, adjusted light. There’s a third message waiting when I check my phone.
Alex: They’re divas. But they’ll survive.
I smile despite myself.
Ten minutes later, Derek appears in the doorway.
He doesn’t knock. He doesn’t hover. He waits until I look up.
“Morning,” he says.
“Morning.”
He steps in, far enough to talk, not far enough to crowd. Jacket off. Coffee in hand. Steady.
“How are you doing,” he asks.
