The end of the business trip had arrived much sooner than Lila expected, and it felt like the weight of everything that had transpired hung heavily in the air as they boarded the plane back home. The past few days had been a whirlwind: endless meetings, strategy sessions, and social events. But despite the business success, there was an undeniable shift between her and Ethan—a shift that neither of them had fully acknowledged but both felt.
They sat in the quiet private jet, the hum of the engines creating a calm backdrop for the storm of thoughts swirling in Lila's mind. Ethan had been by her side throughout the entire trip, offering support and advice when necessary, but there had been moments—glances exchanged across conference tables, brief touches that lingered a fraction too long—that made Lila realize how much their relationship had evolved.
Ethan was focused on his laptop, but Lila couldn't help but study him. He had been her anchor in so many ways, the one constant in a sea of uncertainty. Yet now, with the weight of their unspoken connection lingering between them, Lila wasn't sure what to make of it all.
She shifted in her seat, trying to push aside the tension. "So, what's next?" she asked, breaking the silence.
Ethan glanced up from his laptop, his expression unreadable. "Next?"
Lila nodded. "The merger is done. The trip is over. What happens now?"
Ethan leaned back in his seat, his gaze drifting out the window as he thought for a moment. "You go back to the office. We finish up the last few details. Business as usual."
"And you?" she asked, her voice softening. "What do you do after this?"
He looked back at her, the flicker of something in his eyes that Lila couldn't quite decipher. "I don't know yet. Maybe a little downtime. Maybe a new project."
His answer was vague, and Lila couldn't help but feel like there was more he wasn't saying. She'd always admired Ethan's ability to keep things close to the chest, but today, it felt different. The unspoken words between them had thickened, and she wasn't sure how to navigate it.
"I think…" she began, unsure how to continue, "I think I need a break. I don't know what it is, but after everything that's happened… I just need some time to think."
Ethan's gaze softened, and for a moment, Lila thought she saw a flicker of something in his eyes—a mix of concern and understanding. "I get that," he said quietly. "It's been a lot. A lot to handle on your own."
The words hung in the air, and Lila swallowed, feeling the sudden weight of his insight. She had been so focused on the business side of everything—the merger, the trip, the future—that she hadn't stopped to consider how much of herself she'd been putting aside. There had been moments where she'd felt like she was just a cog in the machine, constantly moving, constantly working.
But here, in the quiet of the jet, with Ethan's presence grounding her, she realized just how much she had neglected herself.
"I've been so focused on keeping everything together," she said, her voice quieter now. "I've forgotten what it feels like to just... breathe."
Ethan didn't speak right away. He simply watched her, his gaze gentle and steady. "Maybe it's time to take a step back. You don't have to do everything on your own."
Lila glanced at him, her chest tightening as she felt a surge of emotions she hadn't been prepared for. Ethan wasn't just talking about work. He was talking about her. About her well-being. About letting go of the walls she'd built around herself.
"I'm not good at that," she admitted, the words slipping out before she could stop them. "I'm not good at asking for help. At relying on someone."
"You don't have to ask for help, Lila," Ethan said, his voice low and soothing. "Sometimes, it's just about letting someone in."
His words lingered in the quiet cabin, and for the first time in a long while, Lila allowed herself to feel the full weight of what he was offering. She wasn't sure how or why she had let herself push him away for so long, but now, sitting here with him, she realized that she didn't have to face everything alone.
The jet dipped slightly, signaling their descent, and Lila's thoughts were interrupted by the change in altitude. She looked out the window, her hand gripping the armrest as the landscape below began to blur.
When they landed, the tension between them still hung in the air, but there was an unspoken understanding that things had shifted. Lila wasn't sure where things would go from here—whether her relationship with Ethan would remain professional or evolve into something more. But she knew one thing: for the first time in a long while, she wasn't afraid of what might come next.
---
After exiting the plane, Lila turned to face Ethan, unsure of how to approach the situation. Their time together in close quarters had brought a sense of closeness, but now that they were back on familiar ground, it was hard to know what came next.
"Thank you," Lila said, breaking the silence. "For everything. For being there, for… for everything."
Ethan smiled, that familiar spark returning to his eyes. "It's what I do, Lila. You don't have to thank me."
But his words, his expression, made her feel something more than gratitude. There was a connection between them now that neither of them could deny. And for once, Lila didn't feel the need to run from it.
"I'll see you in the office," she said, her voice steady, though her heart was beating faster than she cared to admit.
"Of course," Ethan replied with a grin. But there was something else in his eyes—a hint of possibility, a promise that the dynamic between them wasn't over. Not by a long shot.
Lila walked away from the jet, her mind buzzing with uncertainty, but also with a strange sense of peace. She didn't know where things would go from here, but for the first time in a long time, she was willing to let herself find out.
And maybe, just maybe, she wouldn't be facing the journey alone.