Chapter 2 The Silence Between Us

The next morning, Noah didn't text.

That was the first thing I noticed-before the alarm, before the sun had fully climbed through the thin curtains of my room, before I even let myself think about last night.

Usually, my phone buzzed sometime between five and six a.m. Not anything important. Just Noah being Noah. A meme that made no sense without his commentary. A sarcastic If you're awake, I'm suing you. Sometimes just my name.

Aira.

Seeing it pop up on my screen had become so normal that I hadn't realized how much I depended on it how it quietly anchored the start of my day.

But this morning, my phone was silent.

I stared at it for a long moment, waiting, ridiculous hope tightening my chest.

Nothing.

I told myself it meant nothing.

He was probably sleeping in. Or already awake and choosing to give me space. That was fair. After all, I was the one who had insisted we were just friends. I was the one who had drawn the line with shaking hands and a steady voice.

Still, something about the quiet felt wrong.

Too loud.

I forced myself out of bed and into the bathroom. The girl staring back at me in the mirror looked the same dark eyes, same neatly braided hair-but something in her expression felt... hollow.

"You did the right thing," I whispered to my reflection as I brushed my teeth.

Friendship mattered more than feelings.

Safety mattered more than risk.

Stability mattered more than heartbreak.

I repeated those truths like prayers.

They didn't help.

My hands trembled slightly as I chose my clothes, as if my body knew something my mind refused to admit.

At the office, everything felt wrong.

The familiar hum of printers and keyboards no longer soothed me. The air felt heavier, charged with something sharp and unfamiliar. I arrived earlier than usual, hoping irrationally that Noah would already be there.

His desk was empty.

I dropped my bag, turned on my computer, and pretended not to care. Emails flooded in. Reports needed reviewing. Numbers waited to be analyzed. I welcomed the distraction like a lifeline.

Ten minutes passed.

Then twenty.

My eyes kept drifting to his desk despite myself. I told myself it was habit. Muscle memory. Nothing more.

When he finally walked in, my heart betrayed me.

He didn't look tired.

He didn't look angry.

He looked distant.

No grin. No teasing comment about me beating him to work. Just a brief nod in my direction before he sat down and logged into his computer.

It was such a small thing.

And it hurt more than I was prepared for.

"Morning," I said, forcing brightness into my voice.

"Morning," he replied politely.

That was it.

No rolling his chair closer. No leaning into my space like he belonged there. No warmth.

The silence stretched between us, thick and uncomfortable, filling every corner of the room.

I tried to focus on my work. I really did. But every time Noah shifted in his chair, every quiet cough, every movement pulled my attention like a magnet.

He was right there.

So why did it feel like he was already gone?

By mid-morning, my nerves were shot.

"Hey," I said quietly, leaning toward him. "Did you see the update from management?"

He glanced at the email on his screen. "Yeah. I'll handle my part."

"That's... not what I meant," I said, lowering my voice. "I was asking if you wanted to"

"No," he interrupted gently. "I'm good."

The word hit harder than it should have.

I froze.

He hadn't been rude. He hadn't raised his voice. But that single, calm no felt deliberate final.

"Okay," I murmured, pulling back.

I told myself not to overthink it.

I failed.

At lunch, he didn't sit with me.

For over a year, it had been automatic our trays side by side, his jokes cutting through my stress, my quiet presence grounding his chaos.

Today, I sat alone.

People noticed.

"Where's Noah?" Maya asked, scanning the cafeteria.

"He's busy," I replied too quickly.

She frowned. "You two fight?"

"No," I said, a little too sharp. "Why would we fight?"

She studied me for a second, then let it go.

I barely tasted my food.

The afternoon dragged like punishment. Noah kept his distance, interacting only when work demanded it. His professionalism was flawless.

That hurt the most.

By the time evening came, the office was nearly empty. I lingered at my desk, pretending to organize files while my heart pounded

I needed to talk to him.

I needed to fix this.

But when I finally looked up, his desk was empty.

Panic surged.

I rushed outside, scanning the parking lot.

His car was gone.

Before I could stop myself, I pulled out my phone.

Me: Hey. Can we talk?

The message delivered instantly.

No reply.

I stared at the screen until it dimmed, my chest tight with something dangerously close to regret.

That night, sleep refused to come.

Every time I closed my eyes, his words replayed.

Friends don't look at each other the way you look at me.

Playing it safe still costs you something.

I turned onto my side, hugging my pillow like it could replace the comfort I had pushed away.

The next day was worse.

Noah avoided me completely.

Meetings were unbearable. He spoke only when necessary, his tone calm and detached. When our eyes accidentally met, his gaze slid away like it burned.

By the third day, I was unraveling.

I finally cornered him near the elevator.

"Noah," I said, stepping in front of him before the doors could close.

He stiffened but didn't move.

"What?" he asked.

"We can't keep doing this."

"Doing what?"

"This," I gestured between us. "Pretending we don't exist."

His jaw tightened. "We're coworkers. That's what we are."

The words sliced deep.

"You don't mean that," I whispered.

He met my gaze then-really met it-and something cold settled in his eyes.

"I mean exactly what you asked for."

The elevator doors slid open.

He stepped inside.

Left me standing there.

That night, I broke.

I typed messages and deleted them, my fingers shaking.

Me: I never meant to hurt you.

Me: You matter to me. You always have.

No response.

By the end of the week, the rumors started.

Noah Reed was transferring departments.

My stomach dropped.

I marched straight to his desk.

"Is it true?" I demanded quietly. "Are you leaving?"

He looked up slowly. "It's better this way."

"For who?" My voice cracked

"For both of us."

"No," I said, shaking my head. "You don't get to decide that alone."

"You already did."

"I never asked you to leave.

He softened-just for a second.

"I know," he said. "That's why I have to."

Then he walked away.

Again.

That was the moment it finally hit me.

I wasn't losing a coworker.

I wasn't even losing a friend.

I was losing the one person who had seen me completely

and I had chosen silence over truth.