Chapter 4 A New Challenge

Although Tyler was finally willing to trust me again, the incident had left a lingering tension between us that was hard to shake. To make matters worse, things also got complicated at work - there was a new guy, Andrew, who'd been catching my eye.

I hadn't been looking for anything, but there was something about him that drew me in. Maybe it was his quick wit or the way he always seemed to know exactly what to say, but I found myself constantly drawn to him.

The work project that we were collaborating on had already been stressful, and Andrew's presence only added fuel to the fire. Tyler had been working long hours at his own job and frequently coming home exhausted, leaving me to deal with the mounting work stress on my own.

One evening, as I stayed late to wrap up some things at the office, Andrew and I found ourselves sitting together in the break room. We talked about everything from work to our hobbies, and I couldn't help but feel like there was a mutual attraction between us.

"I think we make a pretty good team," he said, flashing me a charming smile.

I smiled back, feeling the heat pool in my cheeks. "Yeah, we do."

For a moment, we just sat there in silence, the tension between us palpable. I pulled my eyes away from his and focused on my coffee cup, too afraid to let my feelings show.

Before either of us could say anything else, my phone rang. It was Tyler, calling to let me know he wouldn't be able to make it home until late again.

Andrew's face fell as he listened to me talk to Tyler on the phone. As soon as I hung up, he sighed.

"I guess that's my cue to leave," he said, standing up.

I felt a pang of regret and loss as he left, realizing that I had just let another connection slip away. As I headed out of the office, my mind was racing with thoughts of Andrew and Tyler. What was I supposed to do with all these feelings?

The answer came sooner than I expected. A few days later, Tyler walked into our apartment to find me sitting on the couch, absorbed in my phone.

"Who are you texting?" he asked mildly.

I jumped, surprised by his sudden appearance. "Oh, just a friend from work."

"Andrew?" he guessed, his tone just a little too sharp.

I felt my face flush with guilt. "What? How did you know?"

"He added me on social media," Tyler said. "I'm not stupid, Leah. I can tell when someone's trying to get with my girlfriend."

"No, Tyler, you don't understand," I protested. "Andrew's just a coworker."

"Mhmm. Just like Jack was just a coworker, right?" Tyler's voice was cold, and I could tell that our trust issues had resurfaced.

"Tyler, please let me explain," I pleaded.

But it was too late. The damage was done, and Tyler's trust in me had once again been shaken to its core. As he stormed out of the apartment, I knew that I had a new challenge ahead of me. Figuring out what to do about my attraction to Andrew would be difficult enough, but restoring Tyler's trust would be almost impossible.