Ruby
Isit at my desk long after the chats go quiet.
Jaxon doesn’t come back over. He doesn’t message me. He doesn’t look my way when he walks to a meeting.
He’s giving me space.
He’s respecting the distance I created.
And somehow?
That hurts worse.
Because I miss him.
Because I want him.
Because last night felt like the beginning of something.
And I’m terrified of what that something might be.
I whisper to myself:
“I think I’m falling for him.”
And then, quieter:
“And I don’t know if I deserve it.”
I makeit exactly one hour into pretending everything is normal before the panic gets too loud.
I can’t focus. I can’t breathe right. I can’t stop thinking about him.
About last night. About this morning. About how real it felt.
And about how I ran.
Eventually, I do something stupid.
I stand up.
And I walk straight to his office.
My heart is banging like a riot in my chest, but I knock anyway.
“Come in,” he says.
His voice is calm.
Too calm.
I step inside.
He looks up from his desk.
His expression is composed. Controlled. But the flicker in his eyes tells the truth:
He’s hurt. And trying very hard not to be.
