Chapter 2: The Aftermath

Sienna woke up in her narrow dorm bed with sunlight slicing through the cheap blinds like a warning. Her body ached in places she hadn’t expected—sweet, unfamiliar soreness that made last night rush back in vivid flashes.

Caspian’s hands on her waist.  

His mouth on her neck.  

The way he’d groaned her name like it was the only word that mattered.

She buried her face in the pillow and groaned. “What did I do?”

The room was quiet except for the hum of the mini-fridge and distant campus chatter. She sat up slowly, sheets pooling around her hips. Her phone buzzed on the nightstand—three missed texts from her mom.

Mom: How was the interview??  

Mom: Baby call me when you wake up  

Mom: Love you ❤️

Sienna smiled despite the knot in her stomach. She typed back quickly: Got it! Starting Monday. Love you too. Talk later.

She couldn’t tell her mom the rest. Not yet. Maybe not ever.

She showered fast, hot water pounding against her skin as if it could wash away the memory of Caspian’s touch. But every time she closed her eyes, she saw his storm-gray gaze, felt the weight of his body pinning hers to silk sheets. He’d been intense, almost desperate—like he’d been holding something back for years and she’d cracked it open in one night.

“I don’t do attachments,” he’d said afterward, voice rough against her hair.

She’d answered, “Neither do I.”

Liar.

She dressed in jeans and her favorite oversized hoodie, the one that smelled faintly of vanilla from her part-time bakery gig. Classes didn’t start for another hour, so she grabbed her laptop and headed to the campus café. Routine would help. Routine would make last night feel like a dream.

The café was busy—students hunched over laptops, baristas calling orders. Sienna ordered her usual iced latte and found a corner table by the window. She opened her notes for Intro to Marketing, trying to focus.

But her mind kept drifting.

He’d known her name without asking.  

He’d said, “I know,” when she told him about the internship.  

Did that mean he’d looked her up? Or had he been the one who approved her hire?

She shook her head. Stop. It was one night. He’s Caspian Hale. He doesn’t chase college freshmen.

Her phone buzzed again. Unknown number.

She frowned and opened the message.

Unknown: You left without saying goodbye.

Her heart slammed against her ribs.

Sienna stared at the screen, thumbs frozen. How did he get her number?

Another text came through.

Unknown: This is Caspian.

She swallowed hard. Of course it was.

She typed, deleted, typed again.

Sienna: How did you get my number?

Caspian: HR files. You’re an employee now.

Sienna: That’s creepy.

Caspian: Practical.

She bit her lip. Her pulse wouldn’t slow.

Sienna: What do you want?

Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.

Caspian: To see you again.

Her stomach flipped.

Sienna: No.

Caspian: Why not?

Sienna: Because last night was a mistake. We work together now. You’re basically my boss’s boss. And I don’t do repeats.

Caspian: It didn’t feel like a mistake.

She stared at the words until they blurred.

Sienna: It was. Goodbye, Caspian.

She blocked the number before she could second-guess herself.

The rest of the day passed in a haze. Lectures, notes, forced smiles at classmates. By evening, she was exhausted, but sleep wouldn’t come. She lay in bed replaying every second, every touch, every whispered word.

She told herself it was over.

She was wrong.

Monday arrived too fast.

Sienna walked into Hale Industries wearing her best blouse and slacks, hair pulled back, determination steeling her spine. Mara met her at reception with a bright smile.

“Welcome back! You’ll be shadowing Lena in social media today. She’s great—very hands-on.”

Sienna nodded, grateful for the distraction. The 14th floor was alive with energy: ringing phones, clicking keyboards, whiteboards covered in campaign ideas. Lena, a bubbly thirty-something with pink streaks in her hair, waved her over.

“Hey, new girl! Ready to make magic?”

Sienna laughed despite herself. “Ready.”

The morning flew—brainstorming posts, analyzing engagement data, learning the company’s voice. It felt good. Normal. Like she belonged.

Until lunch.

She was heading to the break room when she saw him.

Caspian stood at the far end of the hallway, talking to two executives. Dark suit, no tie, sleeves rolled to his forearms. He looked up—and their eyes locked.

Time slowed.

He excused himself from the conversation and walked toward her.

Sienna froze.

He stopped a few feet away, voice low enough for only her to hear.

“You blocked me.”

She lifted her chin. “I did.”

“Why?”

“Because this—” she gestured between them “—can’t happen again.”

His gaze dropped to her lips for a split second. “You sure about that?”

Her breath hitched. “Yes.”

He stepped closer—close enough she could smell that cedar-smoke cologne. “You’re lying.”

“I’m not.”

“You shivered when I walked up.”

Heat flooded her cheeks. “It’s air conditioning.”

A ghost of a smile. “Keep telling yourself that.”

He reached past her to grab a bottle of water from the fridge behind her. His arm brushed hers. Deliberate.

Sienna’s skin ignited.

He straightened, eyes dark. “See you around, Sienna.”

He walked away, leaving her heart racing and knees weak.

She pressed her back to the wall, breathing hard.

This wasn’t over.

It was just beginning.

That night, alone in her dorm, nausea hit her like a truck.

She barely made it to the bathroom before she threw up.

She rinsed her mouth, stared at her pale reflection.

No. It couldn’t be.

But the timing…

She sank to the floor, hugging her knees.

One night.

One mistake.

And now, maybe, one tiny life that would change everything.

She pressed a hand to her stomach, whispering, “Please don’t be real.”

But deep down, she already knew.