LUXURY KNEW HER NAME FIRST

ANNA

The first thought that surfaced through the fog of sleep was that she was lying on something so soft and so expensive that it felt illegal to exist here without a signed contract and a credit check.

She stretched both arms out, then rolled over and screamed into the pillow. Not a dignified twenty-five-year-old woman scream. A little kid scream.

She was here. Actually here.

In London.

In Enoch's apartment.

Anna kicked her legs under the duvet, grinning like an idiot. Then she rolled the other way because the sheets felt too good not to. She gave herself sixty seconds of pure, stupid happiness.

When she finished, she sat up and looked around.

The guest room with cream walls and dark wood furniture was bigger than her entire old apartment. Everything was in the right place. Through the gap in the curtains, she could see buildings climbing toward a grey sky.

She padded to the window and pulled the curtains open.

"Oh," she breathed.

The grand city spread out before her full of possibility. She pressed her palm to the glass. A new beginning. She could feel it.

Her phone buzzed. Twenty-seven messages.

Anna's stomach dropped. She started scrolling.

Six from Jack. She hissed and deleted them without bothering to even open them.

Twelve from group chats she'd forgotten to mute.

Three from Maya. Anna smiled and typed fast:

I'm alive. In a little paradise. Will call later.

One from Mia.

Anna stared at the name. Her thumb hovered. Then she opened it.

I'm not sorry. You should know that. He was never going to choose you. You made him feel like a project. I made him feel like a man. That's not nothing.

Anna read it twice. Her hands shook.

Then she typed:

You can have him. Also, remember he called you a mistake to my face? Enjoy being someone's nothing.

She hit send before she could stop herself and blocked her.

"Shit," she whispered.

Her heart hammered against her ribs. She sat on the edge of the ridiculous bed and forced herself to breathe. In. Out.

A new message pop in. Her mother.

Darling, had the strangest dream about you last night. Call me when you wake up. I love you.

Anna's eyes burned.

She hadn't told them. Any of it. Her parents thought she was still with Jack, living the lie she'd built over five years. Explaining felt too heavy and impossible.

But she was here now. Two hours from Reading.

A surprise visit. That was the answer. She’d show up this weekend with a suitcase and a smile. Let them see she was okay. That way she would avoid the phone calls where they'd hear her voice crack, and cause them to worry about her

She typed back:

Mum, I love you. I'll call soon.

It wasn't enough. It would have to be.

Then she heard it. A low voice from somewhere in the apartment. The clink of metal.

Anna crept to the door and opened it slowly, peeking out like a kid checking for her parents.

The living room was empty. But light came from the kitchen, and she could hear movement. She followed the sound, barefoot on floors that were warm, because of course Enoch had underfloor heating.

She stopped in the doorway.

Enoch stood at the counter, making coffee in black trousers and white shirt with the sleeves rolled up. No tie yet.

He looked unfairly good. Anna actually forgot to breathe.

"Morning," he said, not looking up.

"Morning." She stepped into the kitchen, suddenly aware of her grey lounge pants, her definitely-messy hair. "Coffee smells good."

"There's tea."

"Coffee's fine. I'm flexible."

He glanced at her, raised one eyebrow and with a curved to his lips , he asked. "Are you?"

Heat crept up her neck. "About drinks. I'm flexible about drinks."

"Noted."

He poured a cup and handed it to her. Their fingers touched. A surge of electricity pass through her. Enoch glanced at her and Anna pretended she didn't feel it.

"So," she said, wrapping her hands around the mug. "Work? I could come with you. See the office."

"No."

She blinked. "No?"

"No rush." He leaned against the counter, coffee in hand. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair that was about to drop in her coffee, behind her ear. His knuckle brushing her cheekbone. "You just got here. You need to settle in. Rest. Work can wait."

" I thought I'm supposed to start immediately."

"No, next week." He said it like it was obvious. "You start next week. I told you that."

"You said I had three days."

"To move." He tilted his head. "Not to start work. Did you think I was putting you in the office the morning after you landed?"

"Yes? That's what the email said."

"That was to make sure you actually came." A faint smile. "I needed you to take it seriously. Get on that plane. But I'm not sending you to work before you find your feet."

Anna stared at him. "So you rushed me on purpose. Made it sound urgent."

"It was urgent."

"Why?"

Enoch set down his coffee. Leaned towards her over the table. Anna froze as if he casted a spell. She watched him pull her face closer to his.

"Because I wanted you here," he said simply. Then pulled back and the spell broke. "If I'd given you time to think, you would've talked yourself out of it. Found reasons to stay. Maybe even given Jack another chance." He paused. "You needed a reason to leave that didn't feel like running. I gave you one."

Anna didn't know what to say. "I'm not sorry I came," she finally managed. "I don't understand you."

"You don't have to." He picked up his coffee again. "I'm taking you to Reading tomorrow. To see your parents."

Her heart stopped. "What? Why?"

"You haven't called them. They would have called me if you'd told them you were coming." He watched her face. "You need to see them. They need to see you."

"You don't have to come with me."

"I know." He smiled.

They stood there in the morning light, coffee in hand. Anna had a thousand questions. One especially, why he was helping her so much

"I should unpack," she said. "Before Monday."

He nodded

"Right. Monday." She stepped toward the door. "Thanks. For the coffee. And tomorrow. And... everything."

"Anna."

She turned.

"You're good here," he said. "I need you to know that."

She nodded. Swallowed. "I know."

But looking at the curve of this mouth, she wondered if good was what she wanted to be.