Chapter 6
Lines We Shouldn't Cross
The rest of the day passed in a blur.
I didn't hear half of what my boss said in the meeting.
I didn't taste the lunch I forced myself to eat.
And every time I tried to convince myself it was just a passing feeling, his voice replayed in my head like a song I couldn't let go
This shouldn't be happening.
He's older.
He's family.
He's not someone I'm supposed to want.
But when I saw him again at the end of the day, standing near the hallway with his hands in his pockets, looking at me like I was the only one in the world, something in me betrayed everything I believed in.
Hey, he said softly, his voice lower than usual.
I nodded, pretending to be calm, even though my heart was racing like a storm. Hey.
He stepped closer. Not too close… but close enough that the space between us felt like a secret.
Why are you avoiding me? he asked, with a hint of a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
I'm not avoiding you, I lied. I'm just… busy.
He tilted his head. "You've always been a bad liar."
I let out a breath. Junior, this isn't right.
For a second, the teasing in his face disappeared. His expression softened, and what I saw there weakened me more than anything else, something real. Something dangerous.
I know, he whispered. But that doesn't change the way I feel.
My heart pumping
He shouldn't have said that.
I shouldn't have heard it.
I looked away quickly, trying to steady my voice. Don't say things like that. You're making this harder.
He stepped even closer, and I felt his breath near my ear. Then stop pretending you don't feel it too.
The world went quiet.
The hallway. The footsteps outside. Even my thoughts froze.
I took a small step back. We can't, I said, though it came out more like a plea than a decision.
He nodded slowly, but the look in his eyes said he wasn't going to walk away.
And deep down, I knew I wasn't either.
This was the line we shouldn't cross
But it was already fading beneath our feet. And we couldn't change the fact, and what is meant to be.
I tried as possible to stay away from him but there is something in me that always gets me closer to him.