Elliot

Susan

I tossed the phone aside and leaned my head back against the couch, letting out a frustrated sigh. The notepad still sat there on the counter, mocking me with its presence. Why had I left it behind? Was fate playing some cruel trick on me, or was it just my own stupidity?

It's just a notepad, Susan, I reminded myself. But deep down, I knew it wasn't about the notepad. It was about everything it represented—the past, the unresolved feelings, the man who had walked away.

I got up and paced the living room, my bare feet padding softly against the hardwood floor. "Get it together," I whispered to myself. "He's just another client. Nothing more."

But no matter how much I tried to convince myself, I couldn’t ignore the weight of the emotions that had come rushing back. The way his eyes had softened when he looked at me, the way his smirk had sent an annoying flutter through my chest.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed again. I snatched it up, hoping it wasn’t Meera with another round of teasing.

But it wasn’t Meera. It was an email.

Subject: Follow-Up on Project Timeline

From: Elliot Prescott

I hesitated, my thumb hovering over the screen. Did he have to contact me directly? Wasn’t that what assistants were for? I opened the email, and his words were as succinct as ever:

Susan,

Please confirm if the revised timeline works for your team. Let me know if adjustments are needed.

Regards,

Elliot Prescott

I rolled my eyes. Formal. Professional. Predictable. And yet, I could practically hear his voice in my head, that calm, measured tone he always used when he wanted to hide what he was really thinking.

I typed out a quick reply:

Elliot,

The timeline looks fine. I’ll loop in my team for feedback and get back to you.

Best,

Susan Hart

I hit send and tossed the phone onto the couch again, feeling a strange mix of satisfaction and frustration. It was just work. Nothing more.

And yet, the past wouldn’t stop creeping in.

Elliot

Flashback: Ten Years Ago

“Elliot, are you listening to me?”

Susan’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts as we walked back to campus, her arm linked through mine.

“Hmm? Of course,” I said, though I had no idea what she’d just said.

She gave me a playful nudge. “Liar. You’re miles away.”

“Maybe I’m just thinking about how you made me sit through a three-hour musical,” I teased.

“Oh, come on,” she said, laughing. “Admit it...you loved it. You were humming during the intermission.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Fine. Maybe it wasn’t that bad.”

She grinned triumphantly, pulling me closer. “I knew it.”

We reached her dorm, and she stopped at the entrance, turning to face me. Her eyes searched mine, and for a moment, the world seemed to fade away.

“You’re full of surprises, Elliot Prescott,” she said softly.

“Yeah? Like what?” I asked, my voice equally soft.

“Like the way you act all serious and reserved, but deep down, you’re just a big softie.”

I chuckled, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “Don’t tell anyone. It’ll ruin my reputation.”

“Your secret’s safe with me,” she said, her smile fading slightly as her gaze lingered on mine.

Before I could think, before I could second-guess, I leaned in and kissed her.

It was soft, tentative, and yet it felt like everything I’d been holding back had finally found a voice.

When we pulled away, her cheeks were flushed, her eyes wide with surprise.

“What was that for?” she whispered.

“For being you,” I said simply.

She laughed, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”

“Maybe. But you love it,” I said, grinning.

She didn’t deny it.

Present Day: Susan

I shook my head, trying to dispel the memory. It was dangerous, letting myself linger on moments like that. Moments that felt so real, so tangible, I could almost reach out and touch them.

But they were gone. Ten years had passed. People changed.

I stared at the notepad again, my chest tightening.

“Why now?” I muttered to the empty room. “Why did he have to come back now?”

I knew I was lying to myself. I wasn’t angry that he was back. I was angry that, after all this time, he still had the power to make me feel this way.

And I hated that I didn’t know how to stop it.