May 20, 2025

  I was in the middle of debugging a script when Hannah called my name.

  I glanced up, blinking out of my focus. She was standing near my desk, coffee in hand, her usual composed expression giving nothing away.

  “Can we talk for a second?”

  I hesitated. Across from me, Leo and Ethan both looked up from their screens.

  Leo raised a brow. “Ominous.”

  Ethan didn’t say anything, but his gaze flicked between me and Hannah, assessing.

  I pushed back from my chair. “Yeah. Sure.”

  Monday, 10:00 AM – The Transfer Confirmation

  The meeting room was small, tucked into the corner of the floor, a space usually reserved for one-on-ones or impromptu brainstorming sessions.

  Hannah closed the door behind us and took a seat, setting her coffee down.

  I sat across from her, trying to read her expression.

  “You’re transferring me, aren’t you?” I said finally.

  She let out a quiet breath. “I’ve arranged for you to move to the Data Dungeon team with Priya and Omar.”

  I nodded, feeling something settle in my chest—not relief, not regret. Just inevitability.

  “When?”

  “Three weeks from now.”

  I exhaled. Three weeks. That was fast.

  “You’ll need to start handing over your work this week,” Hannah continued. “Most of it will go to Samantha, but some will go to Ethan and Leo.”

  Of course. Of course.

  I didn’t react. Just nodded. “Got it.”

  Hannah watched me for a second, then leaned back slightly. “I’ll need to announce it to the team soon. Probably by the end of the day, if that works for you.”

  I hesitated, fingers curling slightly against my lap.

  The moment she told them, everything would shift.

  Leo and Ethan would both know something was happening.

  And I wasn’t sure how I felt about that yet.

  But I nodded. “Yeah. That works.”

  Hannah gave a small smile, something knowing in her expression.

  “This is the right move,” she said.

  I wasn’t sure if she meant for the team or for me.

  But I nodded anyway.

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  Monday, 11:00 AM – The Announcement

  When Hannah called for a quick team meeting, I kept my face neutral.

  The team gathered near our cluster of desks, everyone pulling away from their screens.

  Leo slouched in his chair, one arm draped lazily over the backrest. Ethan stood, arms crossed, his expression unreadable.

  Hannah’s voice was even, professional. “I wanted to give you all a quick update—Ada will be transferring to the Data Dungeon team in three weeks.”

  There was a beat of silence.

  Then Samantha let out an exaggerated gasp. “Nooo. We’re losing you?”

  I smiled. “You’ll survive.”

  Eric raised a brow. “Is this voluntary?”

  Hannah gave me a glance, waiting to see if I’d answer.

  I just nodded. “Yeah. It makes sense.”

  Leo hadn’t said anything but I could feel him looking at me so I glanced his way.

  His posture was the same, relaxed, effortless. But his eyes were sharp, searching.

  Ethan, standing beside him, wasn’t looking at me—he was looking at Leo.

  Like he was trying to figure out if this meant I had made a choice.

  I didn’t give either of them anything.

  Just kept my face neutral, my voice even.

  Hannah wrapped up the meeting. “Ada will be handing over her work in the next couple of weeks, so make sure to coordinate with her if you need anything from her before the transition.”

  People murmured their acknowledgments, a few side conversations sparking up.

  Leo didn’t say anything, and neither did Ethan.

  But I felt the weight of both of their stares as I sat back down.

  I ignored it.

  I had three weeks left.

  I could survive three weeks. Maybe.

  Tuesday, 2:15 PM – The Moment That Almost Happened

  The atmosphere shifted a little.

  Leo had gone still, the usual ease in his expression replaced by something sharper, quieter.

  He was always close.

  Too close.

  The kind of close that made me notice things I shouldn’t—the faint scent of his cologne, something warm and familiar.

  The kind of close where I could see the way his gaze flickered, tracking every breath I took.

  The kind of close where if either of us moved, even slightly, there would be nothing left to stop it.

  Leo exhaled, low and measured, like he was considering something.

  “You don’t have to leave,” he said.

  I swallowed. “I do.”

  His eyes stayed on mine. “Do you?”

  It wasn’t a challenge or playful.

  I felt myself leaning in before I even realized I was doing it. Not much. Just enough.

  And Leo—he did the same.

  The air between us thinned, the space shrinking down to nothing, his fingers just barely brushing against my wrist now.

  His lips parted slightly, like he was about to say something else.

  Or—

  Or.

  “Why do you do this?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

  Leo’s brow creased slightly. “Do what?”

  “This push and pull.” My pulse was too loud, my hands suddenly unsteady. “Why do you do this? Why me?”

  Leo’s Perspective

  Leo stopped.

  For once, he had nothing to say.

  A tightness formed in his chest, something he wasn’t used to.

  He could say it.

  I don’t know. Maybe because you drive me crazy. Maybe because the day I saw you in that green dress, I was lost completely. Maybe because when you look at me like that, I just want to lose myself in you, take you completely, and keep you to myself. Maybe it’s how you try so hard every day, even if you’re close to breaking, you never stop. Maybe it’s because I love it when you roll your eyes at me, I go crazy. Maybe it’s the way you smirk at me, the way your eyes challenge me, because you never really take me seriously, and that makes me want you to.

  But he didn’t say any of it.

  Instead, he smirked, leaned back, and shrugged. “What do you mean? This is what we always do. You’re fun, I like fun. I’m charming, and you love being charmed by me.”

  He saw it happen the moment he said it.

  Something in Ada’s face dropped.

  The smallest flicker of something dulling in her eyes.

  Then Leo felt that tug in his chest.

  No.

  Ada turned back to her laptop. “Let’s finish the handover.”

  Leo stared at her. That wasn’t how this was supposed to go.

  This wasn’t how they worked.

  He tried

  to tease her again, reaching out, brushing his fingers toward a stray strand of her hair.

  But before he could, Ada caught his wrist.

  Not rough or forceful, just stopping him.

  When she looked at him this time, her gaze wasn’t annoyed or out sharp.

  It wasn’t anything Leo was used to.

  She just looked tired, defeated.

  “Spoon Girl,” he tried, throwing out a grin, something, anything.

  “I have another meeting in five minutes, Leo.” Her voice was steady. “Can we finish this?”

  Leo hesitated. There was a feeling in the pit of his stomach. A feeling he didn’t like.

  It was okay.

  It was fine.

  He’d come back from this.

  She’d come back from this.

  They always did.

  So for now, he let her go. Just for now.