Zara promised herself she would not think about Cade anymore. Not about his smug face in the elevator. Not about the way those women had whispered about him in the lobby like he was some gift to the world. And definitely not about how her own stomach had twisted with something she refused to name when she heard them.She buried herself in work the entire day, typing faster than usual, double-checking emails, anything to keep her mind off him. By the time she got home that night, she was drained. Her bag was heavy, her groceries were cutting into her fingers, and all she wanted was a hot shower and silence.When she stepped out of the elevator onto her floor, the first thing she saw was a laundry basket sitting carelessly in the hallway. She did not need to guess whose it was. Cade. Always Cade. She muttered under her breath, kicking it lightly to the side so she could pass without tripping.That was when she heard a door click open.Her head lifted and her breath got stuck.Cade stepp
Zara walked into the lobby earlier than usual that morning, clutching her bag tighter than necessary. She had promised herself after last night’s prank that she was done wasting energy on Cade. He wasn’t going to get under her skin again, not today. She had more important things to focus on like her actual job and the fact that her boss was breathing down her neck about deadlines.Still, she slowed her steps when she saw a small group of women huddled by the coffee stand in the corner of the lobby. They were laughing, whispering, then laughing again. Zara didn’t think much of it at first until she caught Cade’s name sliding into their conversation. Her body tensed immediately, ears practically tuning themselves in.“…I swear, Cade from 14B is the hottest guy in this building,” one of them said. She was tall, brunette, with a sleek dress that screamed money and confidence.“Oh, absolutely,” another agreed, sipping her latte. “The way he smirks, God. He knows exactly what he’s doing. If
At one point, he leaned in and whispered, “You’re scowling. People might think you hate being here.”She turned her head slowly, her voice low and sharp. “I do hate being here, especially next to you.”He chuckled quietly, the sound infuriatingly warm. “Good. Then we’re on the same page.”She wanted to snap back, but the building manager’s voice cut through the air. “Any questions from the tenants?”A few people raised their hands, asking about trash collection, water pressure, and security cameras. Zara tried to listen, but her mind was too busy replaying Cade’s grin in the elevator, the way he had said she looked nice.When the meeting finally ended, Zara exhaled with relief. She stood quickly, grabbing her bag and heading for the door.Cade followed, of course.In the hallway, he fell into step beside her again. “Well, that was fun.”She shot him a look. “Fun? We just wasted an hour of our lives talking about broken laundry machines.”“Yeah, but I got to spend it with you.”Her ste
One night, when she caught herself staring at them for too long, she cursed under her breath. Cade was in her head, taking up space he didn’t deserve.But if he thought he had the upper hand, he was dead wrong.Zara sat down at her desk, pulled out a fresh piece of paper, and began to write. Her handwriting was sharp, deliberate, every letter pressed into the page with force. When she was done, she folded the note, slipped it into an envelope, and crept down the hall.She slid it under Cade’s door, then hurried back to her apartment before he could catch her.The note read:“Flowers die. Just like your chances with me.”She went to bed smiling for the first time in days.The next morning, when she opened her door to grab the newspaper, she froze. Sitting on her welcome mat was a single potted cactus, spiky and stubborn, with a bright yellow sticky note attached.She bent down, already shaking her head, and peeled the note off.“Doesn’t die. Just like me.”Zara laughed despite herself,
Zara stood there fuming, gripping the broken mug, realizing this war was far from over and if she was being honest with herself, a part of her didn’t want it to end.The broken coffee mug still sat on Zara’s counter the next morning like a wound she couldn’t ignore. She had barely slept, tossing and turning, replaying Cade’s smug face in her mind. Every time she thought about the way he had said “sweet dreams, princess,” her teeth clenched.He thought this was a game. He thought he could just break into her apartment, snap her favorite mug, and walk away without consequence. The worst part was that Zara had no proof. If she tried to complain to building management, they would laugh and say it was just another round of their endless feud. She made herself a cup of coffee in a plain, boring mug, sipping it like it was poison. The taste felt wrong. That mug had been part of her routine, and Cade had taken it away.By the time afternoon rolled around, she had almost convinced herself to
The next morning, Zara was already in the hallway when she heard a loud, frustrated groan from Cade’s apartment. The sound made her pause, biting back a grin. Moments later his door swung open and there he was, holding up the ruined shirt in disbelief.“What the hell happened to this?” he muttered, turning the fabric in his hands like it would give him answers.Zara leaned against her doorframe, her expression innocent even though she was nearly trembling with laughter. “What’s the matter, Cade? Did the trash king finally lose his royal wardrobe?”He shot her a sharp look. “This isn’t funny. This shirt cost more than your whole basket of laundry put together.”“Then maybe you should take better care of it,” she replied sweetly. “Maybe don’t leave your things lying around like the whole world revolves around you.”Cade narrowed his eyes at her. “You wouldn’t happen to know anything about this, would you?”She gasped, clutching her chest dramatically. “Me? Sabotage your laundry? Please,