Chapter 32 : : : : : : : Cracked Heart

*Ember*

I hadn’t seen Alec since the day after I woke up alone in his bedroom, but this morning I was planning to invite him to have breakfast with me. As I approached Alec's office, I grew a little nervous. I knocked lightly, but the door swung open.

“Good morning,” I said as I pushed the door open. As expected, he was sitting at his desk, his focus fixed on the papers on his table as he scribbled on paper and muttered to himself. The air in the room felt heavy, charged with tension despite the early morning light and the breeze coming through his open window. The air was so crisp.

"I thought we could have breakfast together and maybe go for a walk after?"

His response was barely a murmur. He didn’t even look up at me. "I'm busy, Ember. Perhaps some other time."

“Oh…” I swallowed. “Okay… Maybe lunch?”

“No,” he said, flipping a page. “I have a meeting then.”

The chill in his tone pierced through me, and I could feel my heart sink. My shoulders slumped.

“Dinner?”

He