Ethan’s Perspective

  Date: March 29, 2025

  Monday: A Subtle Shift

  Ethan arrived early, set down his coffee, and pulled out his laptop.

  Then, instead of heading to his usual spot, he took the seat next to Ada.

  A moment later, Leo claimed the one on the other side.

  Neither of them usually sat here.

  Neither of them acknowledged the change.

  Ada glanced between them, clearly noticing, but after a second, she chose not to say anything.

  Ethan didn’t say anything either.

  But he knew why he had moved.

  He wasn’t just going to sit back and let Leo have her attention—not when he wasn’t even sure what he wanted to do about it yet.

  Tuesday: A Moment That Caught His Attention

  Ethan was running queries when he noticed a brief pause in Ada’s movements.

  Her phone had buzzed.

  She glanced at the screen, expression shifting for half a second.

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  Not alarm. Not excitement. Something in between.

  A hesitation.

  He didn’t know why that stood out to him.

  Then Priya, ever sharp, caught it too.

  “Oh?” she drawled, slowing to a stop by Ada’s desk. “Who’s Oliver?”

  Ada nearly dropped her phone. “What? No one!”

  Priya smirked. “Really? Because that message just now says otherwise.”

  Leo, who had been absentmindedly twirling a pen, suddenly stopped.

  Ethan kept typing, not looking up.

  But he was listening.

  And when Priya pushed further, teasing Ada about responding, something flickered at the edge of his thoughts.

  He had anticipated Leo as part of this equation.

  Oliver was unexpected.

  Whoever the hell he was.

  Ethan’s fingers tapped once against his desk, and before he could overthink it, he stood, grabbing his mug.

  “Need coffee.”

  He left without another word.

  Thursday: A Hypothetical That Wasn’t So Hypothetical

  Ethan wasn’t paying attention until he heard Leo’s voice.

  “Spoon Girl, hypothetically speaking.”

  That tone.

  Ethan’s eyes stayed on his screen, but his focus sharpened.

  “If someone were interested in you—hypothetically—what kind of move would actually work?”

  Ada sighed. “That’s never a good way to start a sentence.”

  Leo ignored her. “Just curious.”

  Ethan inhaled slowly.

  Leo was pushing.

  And Ethan wasn’t sure if he was pushing for fun or pushing for something more.

  He didn’t believe in chasing after something just to win.

  And Ada wasn’t a prize.

  But if he had been taking his time—assuming there was time—he might need to reconsider.

  Either way, Ethan wasn’t about to let the conversation play out any longer.

  He pulled up a chair beside Ada and dropped into it, deliberately close.

  “Stand-up meeting,” he announced, voice even.

  Leo’s brows twitched slightly but all he did was stretch his arms lazily.

  “Alright. Let’s hear about everyone’s productivity.”

  Ethan leaned back, keeping his expression unreadable.

  The air between them had shifted.

  Leo was moving. And Ethan?

  Ethan had decided he wasn’t waiting anymore.

  End-of-Day Thoughts

  Ethan sat back in his chair, rubbing the back of his neck.

  Originally, he had assumed things would unfold naturally.

  That he’d have space to figure her out, to see where they fit.

  But Leo was moving.

  And now this Oliver was part of the picture, too.

  Ethan exhaled slowly, the weight of the week settling over him.

  If he wanted to know where he stood with her—he might need to start making that clearer.

  And with Friday coming up, he had a feeling that decision was about to be tested.