Ethan sat back in his office, watching the cityscape outside his window, but his mind wasn't on the view. His thoughts kept circling back to Lila. They always did.
The day had passed in a blur of meetings and calls, but every time he'd seen her, his attention had drifted to the subtle changes in her demeanor. She was distant today, more so than usual. At first, he thought it was just the weight of her work—the pressure she was constantly under—but now, he wasn't so sure.
He had noticed the way she had avoided him all day, the slight hesitations in her voice when they did speak. But what bothered him the most was the way she'd pulled away when he reached out. Their moments of quiet connection on the business trip had been the closest they'd ever been—too close, perhaps—but he hadn't been able to help himself. He couldn't shake the feeling that something had shifted between them, and he wasn't sure how to navigate it.
They'd shared more than just professional pleasantries during that trip. There had been moments, fleeting but meaningful, when he had seen the real Lila—the one who wasn't just a daughter trying to meet her father's impossible standards, the one who wasn't buried under the weight of her responsibilities. He had seen the cracks in her tough exterior, the vulnerability she kept hidden from the world.
And he'd seen how much she was trying to hide from him.
Ethan had never been one to shy away from challenges, but Lila was a puzzle he wasn't sure how to solve. He had been careful with her, giving her space, allowing their relationship to grow slowly. But the distance between them now was palpable. Something had changed after their conversation yesterday, and he couldn't help but wonder if it was something he had said—or something he hadn't said.
He couldn't deny that he felt a connection to her. It was more than just professional admiration. Over the course of their time working together, he had come to respect her in ways he hadn't expected. Her intelligence, her drive, her resilience—there was no one like her in the company, and if he was being honest with himself, there was no one like her in his life, either.
But recently, it was more than that. She had begun to occupy his thoughts in ways that made him question his own motives. He had caught himself thinking about her at odd moments, wondering what she was doing, what she was feeling, even what she was thinking. It wasn't just the attraction anymore—it was something deeper. He cared about her. More than he wanted to admit. More than he thought he should.
The memory of her face when he had touched her hand lingered in his mind. It had been a small gesture, something that could've been dismissed as a simple show of comfort, but it had felt like more. The way her eyes met his, the hesitation in her touch, the faint blush that had crept up her neck—it had told him everything he needed to know. She was feeling it too.
But what did it mean? And more importantly, what was he supposed to do about it?
---
Ethan's phone buzzed, dragging him out of his thoughts. It was a message from Lila.
"How's the morning treating you? Want to grab coffee before the meetings start?"
His fingers hovered over the keys for a moment before he typed out his response. "I'm swamped this morning. I'll catch up with you later."
He sighed, knowing it wasn't just the work that kept her away. There was something else. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but the walls she had put up around herself had gotten higher. Lila was always so composed, always in control, but he had seen the cracks, the moments when she let her guard slip. And now, he wasn't sure how to approach her without pushing her further away.
The thing was, he wanted to be there for her. He wanted to be the person she could lean on, the person who understood her better than anyone. But it seemed like every time he got close, she retreated.
He thought back to the jet ride, the time they had spent alone together. The quiet, meaningful moments they'd shared had been nothing short of electric. But after they returned to the office, it felt as though everything had been erased, wiped clean as if it had never happened. Lila had been distant, and he couldn't tell if it was because of the kiss they had shared or something else entirely.
Ethan wasn't the type to second-guess himself, but with Lila, he found himself doing just that. He wanted to ask her about it, to talk about what had happened between them, but he didn't want to make her uncomfortable. He didn't want to push her into a conversation she wasn't ready to have.
But he couldn't ignore the way his feelings had evolved. He couldn't deny that there was something real between them. And as much as he tried to focus on the business at hand, his thoughts kept drifting back to her.
He decided to give her space, as she had asked. He wasn't sure what she needed, but he could sense that she was struggling with something. She was always so strong, always carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders, but lately, there had been an unease about her—a vulnerability that she wasn't letting anyone see.
---
Later that afternoon, Ethan found himself in another meeting, his mind half-occupied with thoughts of Lila. He kept glancing over at her across the table, watching as she diligently took notes and responded to questions with her usual poise. But he could tell that something was off. Her answers were sharp, her focus unwavering, but there was a distance in her eyes—a quiet sadness that he couldn't ignore.
As the meeting wrapped up, Ethan lingered for a moment, watching Lila as she gathered her things. There was an ache in his chest that he couldn't explain, a longing to break through the wall she had built around herself.
He couldn't let her slip away, not when he had finally started to understand what was at stake.
Lila stood up to leave, and for a split second, their eyes met across the room. The briefest flash of recognition passed between them—an understanding that went unspoken. It was there, just beneath the surface. The tension, the connection.
But Lila turned away before he could say anything, her footsteps quick and purposeful as she walked out of the room. Ethan stayed behind, fighting the urge to follow her.
He knew one thing for sure: whatever was happening between them wasn't something he could ignore. He had already let it go on too long. The question was, would she be willing to confront it too?