LOGINThe apartment smelled like paint and someone else's life.Leighton stood in the middle of the empty living room. One bedroom. Tiny kitchen. A bathroom with water stains on the ceiling. It was all she could afford on her new salary. All she deserved, apparently.Her boxes sat piled against the wall. Unopened. She'd been here three days and couldn't find the energy to unpack.Her phone sat on the counter. Dark. Silent. She'd read Noah's texts fifty times. Memorized every word. Then deleted them.She hadn't responded. Hadn't called. Hadn't reached out.Because if she started, she wouldn't stop. And stopping was the only way to survive this.Monday morning, she dressed for her first day. Black pants. White blouse. Nothing special. Nothing that felt like her.The office was downtown. Glass and steel. Modern. Impressive.Mark Chen greeted her with a warm handshake. "Leighton! Welcome to Catalyst Creative. Ready for your first day?""Absolutely."He showed her to her desk. Introduced her to
Leighton woke to sunlight streaming through Noah's window.For a moment, she forgot. Let herself believe this was just another morning. That she wasn't leaving. That his arm around her waist meant something permanent.Then reality crashed back.Today. She was leaving today.Noah's breathing was steady against her neck. Still asleep. She turned carefully, not wanting to wake him. Wanting to memorize his face in the morning light. The way his hair fell across his forehead. The slight scruff on his jaw. The peace in his expression that only came when he slept.She'd never see this again. Never wake up next to him. Never feel this safe.Her throat tightened. She blinked hard against the burning in her eyes.His eyes opened. Dark and immediately aware. Like he'd known she was watching.They stared at each other. Neither speaking. Both knowing these were their last moments alone."I should go," she whispered. "Before Chloe wakes up."His arm tightened around her waist. "Not yet.""Noah..."
Noah carried her upstairs.She protested weakly, said she could walk, but he ignored her. Held her against his chest like she weighed nothing. Like he could keep her if he just didn't let go.In his room, he laid her on the bed. Found a warm washcloth in the bathroom. Cleaned her gently, carefully. She watched him the whole time, eyes soft in the dim light.When he finished, he climbed in beside her. Pulled the covers over both of them. She curled into his side immediately, head on his chest, leg thrown over his.They didn't speak. Just breathed together. His fingers traced lazy patterns on her shoulder. Her hand rested over his heart."Tell me something," she said finally. Her voice was quiet. Tired."Like what?""Something real. Something you don't usually share."He was silent for a long moment. Staring at the ceiling. Feeling the weight of her against him."My dad left when I was seven," he said. "Just packed a bag one day and walked out. Didn't say goodbye. Didn't explain. Just g
Noah couldn't sleep again. The clock on his nightstand glowed 1:47 AM, Monday now technically, but it still felt like Sunday night. One day left. The house pressed in around him, too still, like it already knew she was gone.His phone lit up on the sheet beside him. A single text.Leighton: Come to your office.Nothing else. No emoji, no please. Just that.He stared at the words until the screen dimmed. Then he pulled on gray sweatpants and walked barefoot down the hall. The house was dark except for the thin strip of light leaking under his office door.He turned the handle slowly and pushed it open.Leighton was sprawled across the wide mahogany desk, completely naked. Her back arched just enough to lift her breasts, knees bent, feet flat on the cool wood, thighs parted. The desk lamp painted warm gold over her skin, catching on the faint sheen of sweat already there. Her dark hair fanned out around her head like spilled ink. She watched him with steady eyes, lips slightly swollen,
Noah couldn't sleep.One week. Seven days until Leighton left his house. Left the city. Left him.He'd tried to let her go. Tried to tell himself it was for the best. That she deserved better than a man who couldn't figure out his own feelings.But every time he closed his eyes, he saw her. Heard her voice asking him to give her a reason to stay.And he'd failed. Couldn't say the words. Couldn't make the promise.Coward.At 2 AM, he gave up pretending to sleep. Pulled on sweatpants and headed downstairs for water.He found her in the kitchen. Standing at the sink in sleep shorts and a tank top. Staring out the window at nothing.She turned when she heard him. Their eyes met.Neither spoke.The silence stretched. Heavy with everything unsaid."Can't sleep?" he finally asked."No.""Me neither."She turned back to the window. "One week left, then I'm gone.""I know."More silence. He should leave. Should go back to his room. Should stop torturing himself.Instead, he moved closer. Stopp
Noah avoided her for two days.Leighton caught glimpses of him. Leaving early for work. Coming home late. His office door always closed. No midnight texts. No stolen glances across the dinner table.It was like they'd gone back to the beginning. Strangers sharing a house.Except now it hurt worse. Because now she knew what his touch felt like. How he tasted. The sound he made when she kissed that spot on his neck.Friday night, Chloe went out with friends. Left Leighton alone in the house with Noah.She tried to stay in her room. Tried to focus on apartment listings. On packing. On anything except the man down the hallway who wouldn't talk to her.At ten, she heard his office door open. Footsteps in the hallway. Then a knock on her door.She opened it. He stood there in jeans and a wrinkled t-shirt. Dark circles under his eyes. Hair a mess."Can we talk?" His voice was rough. Tired."Okay."He walked past her into the room. Paced to the window. Back to the door. Restless energy radiat







