Chapter 8
I began gathering my things, ready to head out for the day. The office felt suffocating, and I just wanted to escape. I gripped the strap of my bag a little tighter, my heart pounding in my chest as I took a deep breath and headed for the door. I told myself I was doing the right thing.
Stepping away before things got too messy. Before I let myself feel something I had no business feeling. It was better this way. After all, no matter how hard my heart pounded for Nathaniel Synclair, he was far beyond my reach and a married man.
But as my fingers curled around the cool metal handle, a voice called out behind me, stopping me in my tracks.
“Miss. Sophia, hold on, please,” he called, his tone light but firm.
I froze, not sure if I should stop or just keep walking. He sounded like he had something to say, but I wasn’t sure I was in the right headspace for it. But as the trustee of the institute, he was also my boss.
I closed my eyes for a split second, bracing myself before I turned around. Nathaniel stood a few feet away, his hands casually tucked into the pockets of his dark trousers, but there was something in his eyes–something unreadable, yet undeniably intense.
“Yes?” I turned slowly, trying to act casual, but inside I was already feeling the pull of my uncertainty.
“You’re leaving already?” he asked, tilting his head slightly. His voice was smooth, yet there was a note of something else beneath it. Was it curiosity? Disappointment?
I shifted on my feet, unsure of how to respond. “Yeah, I was just about to leave.” I forced a small smile, hoping that would be enough to end the
conversation.
But he didn’t let it go. “Have lunch with me.”
The words caught me off guard. I blinked at him, my mind racing for a response. “I–what?”
He gave me that warm, slightly crooked smile of his that had my heart on overdrive just this morning. “I was hoping you’d join me for lunch. I know it’s spur–of–the–moment, but I’d love the company.”
I blinked, taken aback. “Lunch? With you?” I hesitated, chewing on my lip. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy his company, but I’d been so caught up in my own thoughts, I wasn’t sure if I could handle the distraction.
Nathaniel took a step closer, as if sensing my hesitation. “It’ll be just lunch, Sophia. No pressure, I promise. We can just talk, relax, and get away from all of this for a while.”
I glanced at the door and then back at him. He looked so sincere, and there was something about his presence that made me feel like maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad idea after all.
“I don’t know,” I murmured, biting the inside of my cheek. “I’m not sure it’s the right thing to do.”
Nathaniel raised an eyebrow, leaning slightly toward me. “Why not? Sometimes the best decisions are the ones we don’t plan for.”
I sighed, feeling the pull of temptation. I was tired. Tired of work, of the routine, of having to return home after what happened last night…of everything. Maybe it wouldn’t hurt to step away for a bit, to see what would happen.
“Okay, fine. But just lunch,”
His smile widened, and I swear, I could see relief in his eyes. “Just lunch,”
We ended up at a small cafe nearby, the kind that had a cozy, almost hidden charm to it.
As we sat down, Nathaniel effortlessly steered the conversation into lighter topics. He talked about the most random things–his terrible attempts at cooking, a ridiculous story from his childhood involving a pet hamster, and even his obsession with obscure documentaries, I couldn’t help but laugh, and before I knew it, the time slipped away.
The tension I’d been carrying melted the longer we talked, until I realized I was actually enjoying myself. More than I expected to.
By the time we finished, I wasn’t in a rush to leave. Nathaniel glanced at his watch, then looked at me.
“I have to say, I didn’t think you’d agree to this. But I’m really glad you did.”
1/2
9:13 AM
Chapter 8
1 smiled, feeling a warmth spread through me. “Yeah, me too. This turned out to be… better than I expected.”
Nathaniel chuckled. “Good. Maybe we can do it again sometime?”
I nodded, feeling a surprising sense of contentment. “I’d like that.”
It was strange how one simple decision could change the course of my day. I had told myself I wouldn’t enjoy it. That it was just lunch. Nothing more. But as I sat across from Nathaniel, listening to him talk, laughing at his stories, feeling more at ease than I had in weeks, I realized something.
My world was starting to grow–beyond just Tristan, beyond my kids–and somehow, I liked it.
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