There was a buzz in the office on the last review. Everyone was celebrating the success of the pitch, and Kasie couldn't deny that a part of her was thrilled. The clients were thrilled, and the project was going to be one of the company's biggest bests. She should have been elated. She could have been reveling in triumph, but the thought of Jake kept replaying in her head.
Sometimes those calm moments following a great victory were the most difficult. They applauded each other in the back, wished each other congratulations and congratulatory mails were raining on her inbox. But as Kasie sat at her desk, trying to focus on the next steps, she couldn't shake the thought of him.
It had been a long day, and she had been trying to keep her composure—professionally, of course. Yet each view she got of Jake in the same room, it felt like their walls were dissolving slowly and slowly revealing each other. He had been so supportive, so present during the presentation, always stepping in when needed, always knowing just what to say. There was a quiet trust there.
But that wasn't the issue, was it? No, the actual issue was the feeling of trust Kasie experienced when she gazed at Jake, as it was more complex than trust. It was something more—something she hadn't been ready to acknowledge.
She closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling deeply as if trying to rid herself of the thoughts swirling in her head. Get it together, Kasie, she thought. This is about the project. Nothing more.
But every time she tried to focus, there he was again, Jake—leaning against the doorway, his gaze fixed on her, the tiniest smile playing on his lips.
"Got a minute? he asked, stepping into her office without waiting for an invitation. There was no pretense in his voice. It was informal, but there was something unique about how he uttered it today.
Kasie blinked, trying to clear her thoughts. "Yeah, sure. Come on in."
Jake sashayed in and crashed down into the chair opposite her table. His body was relaxed but there was a specific intensity in his gaze that momentarily made her heart flutter. She couldn't look at him for too long. She wouldn't let herself.
"First off, Jake said, his voice soft but sincere, "I just wanted to say. great job. You really killed it out there today."
Kasie was surprised by the warmth in his tone. She hadn't expected him to acknowledge it so personally. "Thanks, she replied, her voice a little more guarded than she intended. "We both did great. You kept things on track, too."
Jake chuckled lightly. Well someone had to hold us back from the brink.
Kasie smiled, but it was a strained one. She couldn't help herself. Every word between them now appeared to take on more weight than ever before.
There was long pause and then Jake's voice became a lot more grave. "Listen, I don't know if it's just me, but I feel like things are. changing between us. And I don't want it to be strange, but I also do not want to pretend that it's not. You know?"
Kasie's heart stopped for a moment. Her thoughts scattered. It opened the mouth to speak a word, however a word wouldn't emerge.
Jake watched her for a moment, clearly sensing her hesitation. "I get it if you don't know how to respond. I just didn't want to leave anything on hold, you know? The past couple of weeks have been strange, and there's simply a thing between us. I just wanted to put it out there."
The weight of his words hit her harder than she expected. She had been avoiding this. She had been avoiding him, avoiding how she felt. However, now, in the peace of the room, it could not be ignored.
Kasie took a deep breath, steadying herself. Jake, I—" She hesitated, not knowing if she should push on.
Jake seemed to sense her struggle. He gave a small, understanding nod. "You don't have to say anything. I just... I wanted you to know that I'm here. If you need to talk, or if you just need to figure things out, I'm not going anywhere.
For a moment, there was nothing but silence between them. Kasie's pulse quickened as she resisted the temptation to just let the words from her mouth out. She wanted to say something to him to let him know that she was afraid—afraid of what it all meant, afraid that she had started to depend so wholly on him. But instead, she nodded, offering a small, tight-lipped smile.
"Thanks, Jake," she said quietly. "I... I'll keep that in mind."
Later that evening, Kasie found herself walking home alone. It was one of those days that seemed unreal, as though the world was moving just a fraction too fast. Because she had been deeply absorbed in the exchange with Jake, she had scarcely noticed how the passage of time flew. The words had been lighthearted, but the implication of them pressed against her heart.
everything had changed. Not just between them, but inside her.
It wasn't like she hadn't known this was coming. For days, days gone by, there had been almost imperceptible changes between them—chilled quiet moments which made her heart beat faster and everyday conversation which contained too many things neither of them considered to be really anywhere near their business. But the reality of it—the fact that Jake had openly acknowledged it—made it real.
Kasie couldn't ignore it any longer. And she didn't know if it was a positive or a negative thing.
She walked faster, trying to outrun her own thoughts. It was too much, too soon. She couldn't let herself go there—not yet. Not until she figured out how she truly felt. She needed time. Time for picking through the mess, the doubts, the unknowns, so on.
When she reached her apartment building, Kasie paused for a moment, looking up at the dimly lit windows. She was unclear what she wished for, some kind of reply, some kind of resolution. But there was nothing. Only the same restful night, the same ever repeated cycles of ideas in her brain.
She couldn't run from it forever.
However, she was not sure if she was prepared to deal with it, either.