Chapter 10_ Too Close

(Ciara’s POV)

I could not sleep.

No matter how many times I turned on the bed, no matter how tightly I shut my eyes, sleep refused to come.

Lucas’s voice kept replaying in my head.

“This behavior is unacceptable.”

“If you cannot do that, then you are in the wrong place.”

I stared at the ceiling, my chest tightening slightly.

It was not just what he said.

It was how easily he said it.

How quickly he believed her.

I turned to my side, pulling the pillow closer.

“I did nothing wrong,” I whispered into the silence.

But the words did not comfort me.

Because deep down, it was not about being right or wrong.

It was about the fact that he did not even try to understand.

I exhaled slowly and sat up.

Sleep was not coming.

That much was clear.

The room felt too quiet, too heavy, like my thoughts were closing in on me. I pushed the blanket off and got down from the bed, my feet touching the cold floor as I made my way to the kitchen.

Maybe I just needed a distraction.

Something simple.

Something that did not involve thinking.

I opened the freezer and stared at its contents for a moment before reaching for a tub of ice cream.

A small, tired smile crossed my face.

“Someone once said ice cream brings happiness,” I murmured.

“I hope they were not lying.”

I grabbed a spoon and sat at the small table, pulling the tub closer as I took the first bite.

Cold.

Sweet.

Simple.

For a moment, it helped.

But not enough.

My phone lay beside me, silent.

I stared at it for a few seconds before picking it up.

There was only one person I could talk to right now.

I dialed her number.

It rang once.

Twice.

Then

“Ciara?” Annie’s voice came through, soft but alert. “Are you alright?”

I swallowed slightly.

“I don’t know,” I admitted.

There was a brief pause on the other end.

“What happened?” she asked gently.

I exhaled slowly, leaning back in my chair.

“A lot,” I said.

And then I told her everything.

From Taylor showing up at the office…

To the argument…

To the way Lucas looked at me…

To the way he chose her side without hesitation.

I did not rush through it.

I let it all out.

Every word.

Every feeling.

By the time I finished, the ice cream in front of me had melted slightly, forgotten.

“I feel stupid,” I said quietly. “For even expecting something different.”

“You are not stupid,” Annie replied immediately.

Her voice was calm.

Steady.

“You were hurt,” she continued. “And you reacted. That does not make you wrong.”

I closed my eyes briefly.

“But he didn’t even listen to me,” I said. “He just… decided.”

“Then that is his mistake,” she replied.

I frowned slightly.

“It doesn’t feel like his mistake,” I said. “It feels like mine.”

“Ciara,” she said softly.

I opened my eyes again.

“You have spent too much of your life blaming yourself for things that are not your fault,” she continued. “This is not one of those times.”

I was quiet for a moment.

Her words settled slowly in my mind.

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone,” she added. “Not to Taylor. Not to your father. And definitely not to him.”

I let out a slow breath.

“Thank you,” I said quietly.

“Always,” she replied.

We spoke for a little while longer before ending the call.

The silence returned.

But this time, it felt… lighter.

I glanced at the melted ice cream and let out a small sigh.

“Not as effective as advertised,” I muttered.

Still…

It helped a little.

Eventually, I went back to bed.

And somehow…

Sleep came.

The next morning, I woke up before my alarm.

My head still felt slightly heavy, but it was nothing compared to yesterday.

I sat up slowly, running a hand through my hair.

“New day,” I whispered.

“New mindset.”

I got ready faster than usual.

There was no hesitation.

No distractions.

By the time I finished dressing, it was not even 7 a.m.

I checked the time again, almost surprised.

“That’s new,” I murmured.

By 7:15 a.m., I was already at the office building.

The early morning air was cool, and the environment was quieter than usual. Most people were not in yet, which made everything feel calmer.

Safer.

I stepped inside and walked toward the elevator.

Just as I reached it

The doors slid open.

And my breath caught.

Lucas.

He was already inside.

For a second, I froze.

Then instinct took over.

“I will take the next one,” I said quickly, stepping back.

“Ciara.”

His voice stopped me.

I hesitated.

Slowly, I turned.

He was watching me.

Not cold.

Not angry.

Just… watching.

“Get in,” he said simply.

I swallowed.

For a brief moment, I considered refusing.

But that would only make things worse.

So I stepped inside.

The doors closed.

Silence filled the space immediately.

I stood at one side.

He stood at the other.

The distance between us felt smaller than it should have been.

Neither of us spoke.

The elevator began to move.

The quiet stretched.

Uncomfortable.

Heavy.

Then

“You are unusually quiet.”

I blinked, glancing at him.

He was looking at me now.

Calm.

Observant.

“I am usually quiet,” I replied.

One of his brows lifted slightly.

“No,” he said. “You are not.”

I looked away.

“I am learning,” I said.

A faint hint of amusement flickered across his expression.

“That is unfortunate,” he said.

I frowned slightly.

“Why?”

“Because I find your usual self more… interesting.”

My heart skipped slightly.

I did not respond.

I did not trust myself too.

The silence returned.

But this time, it felt different.

Then

The elevator jerked suddenly.

My breath caught.

The lights flickered briefly before stabilizing.

“What was that?” I asked, my voice lower now.

“It’s probably a minor fault,” Lucas replied calmly.

But before I could say anything else

The elevator jolted again.

Harder.

And everything stopped.

The sudden movement threw me off balance.

I stumbled forward

And collided with him.

My hands pressed against his chest instinctively.

His arms moved just as quickly, catching me before I could fall.

For a second…

Everything froze.

My breath hitched.

Because our faces were too close.

Too close.

And then

It happened.

Our lips brushed.

Soft.

Unexpectedly.

Electric.

My eyes widened instantly.

Time stopped.

My heart pounded loudly in my chest.

I could feel his breath.

Warm.

Close.

Too close.

And then reality hit.

I pulled back immediately, my hands pushing against him as I stepped away.

“I am sorry,” I said quickly, my voice unsteady.

He said nothing.

I could not look at him.

I refused to.

The silence that followed was heavier than before.

Then

The elevator beeped.

And started moving again.

As if nothing had happened.

The doors slid open.

I did not wait.

I stepped out immediately.

Fast.

Without looking back.

Because if I did

I wasn’t sure what I would see.

Or worse…

What I would feel.