Chapter 4 The push and pull

Chapter Four: The Push and Pull

Adrian didn't like the change in himself. That night in the dark office had stayed with him-lingered like a scent, a warmth. And warmth wasn't part of his routine.

The problem was Erica made it hard to go back to cold.

He started noticing her. Not just her work-her presence. The way she hummed quietly when updating calendars, the way she scrunched her nose while concentrating, the small jokes she whispered under her breath during tense meetings. He found himself anticipating her mood, her laugh.

It made him feel... exposed. And Adrian Blake hated feeling exposed.

So he pulled back.

Meetings became curt. Instructions were delivered through email. He assigned a junior assistant to "share the workload." Erica wasn't naive. She noticed the shift immediately.

One morning, she stood in front of his desk after yet another silent exchange.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

He didn't look up. "Nothing that concerns you."

"You've barely said a full sentence to me in two days."

"I don't have time for distractions."

She blinked. "Is that what I am? A distraction?"

Silence.

"Right," she said softly, nodding. "Got it."

She turned to leave, but his voice stopped her.

"You're good at what you do, Erica. That's all I need."

She didn't turn around. "That's not the problem, Adrian. The problem is you're scared to need anyone at all."

The door shut quietly behind her, but her words didn't.

That night, Adrian sat alone in his apartment-spacious, modern, empty. Her voice echoed in his head: You're scared to need anyone.

He poured himself a drink and stared out at the city skyline, thinking.

He had spent so many years building walls, guarding himself from betrayal, pain, disappointment. And yet, somehow, this one woman had climbed right over them without even trying.

And it terrified him.