Tension

Elliot

The rest of the day felt like a blur, but Susan’s expression from earlier...the way her eyes had darkened, the tension in her posture...lingered like a bad dream.

I hadn’t seen her since she stormed out of my office. Despite my better judgment, I kept checking the clock and glancing at the phone on my desk, half-hoping she’d come back or call, and half-dreading that she might.

Why did it matter so much?

Leila’s unannounced appearance had been nothing short of a disaster. I knew what it must have looked like to Susan, and I hated that I hadn’t been quick enough to clear up the misunderstanding.

I leaned back in my chair, letting out a frustrated sigh. It wasn’t like me to let personal matters interfere with work, but Susan had always been the exception.

There was a knock at the door, and I sat up straighter, a flicker of hope sparking to life. But when the door opened, it was Adrian who walked in, looking far too amused for my liking.

“You look like someone ran over your dog,” he said, plopping down in the chair across from me. “Rough day?”

I shot him a glare. “What do you want, Adrian?”

He grinned, leaning back with an air of nonchalance that only made me more annoyed. “Just checking in on my dear brother. Heard there was a bit of a scene earlier.”

“How would you know that?”

“Office gossip travels fast,” he replied with a shrug. “And besides, I bumped into Susan on my way in. She didn’t look thrilled.”

Hearing her name was enough to make my chest tighten. I tried to keep my expression neutral, but Adrian’s grin widened like he’d caught onto something.

“Interesting,” he mused.

“Drop it,” I said, my tone leaving no room for argument.

Adrian raised his hands in mock surrender. “Fine, fine. But you might want to fix whatever’s going on. She looked like she was ready to set something...or someone...on fire.”

I didn’t respond, and Adrian eventually left, leaving me alone with my thoughts once again.

By the time I finally decided to leave the office, it was late. The building was quiet, the usual bustle of employees replaced by the hum of the air conditioning.

As I stepped into the elevator, my mind was still on Susan. I needed to fix this, but I wasn’t sure how.

And more than that, I wasn’t sure why it mattered so much to me that I did.

****

Susan

I’d spent the rest of the day trying to push the incident from Elliot’s office out of my mind. But no matter how hard I tried, it kept creeping back...Leila’s smug smile, Elliot’s half-hearted attempt to explain, and the way my chest had tightened when I saw them together.

Why did it bother me so much? That’s the question I kept asking myself. I had no claim to him. He wasn’t mine, and he hadn’t been for a long time.

But logic didn’t stop the anger or the sting of jealousy.

By the time I finished my work for the day, I was emotionally drained. My head was a mess of emotions I didn’t want to acknowledge. I grabbed my bag and headed toward the exit, only to realize halfway there that I’d left my planner upstairs.

“Perfect,” I muttered under my breath, turning back toward the elevator. My heels clicked loudly against the marble floor as I made my way back to retrieve it.

The elevator arrived quickly, and I stepped inside, pressing the button for the top floor. As the doors slid shut, I leaned against the cool metal wall, letting out a tired sigh.

The ride was quiet, the soft hum of the elevator filling the silence. But when it reached the ground floor and the doors opened, my heart skipped a beat.

Standing there, looking every bit as surprised as I felt, was Elliot.

For a moment, we just stared at each other. He was still in his suit, but his tie was loosened, and the top button of his shirt was undone. His hair was slightly mussed, like he’d been running his hands through it all evening. He looked... infuriatingly good, which only fueled my annoyance.

“Susan,” he said, his voice careful, like he was walking on eggshells.

“Elliot,” I replied, stepping aside to make room for him.

But he didn’t move. Instead, he leaned casually against the doorframe, his piercing gaze locked on mine.

“What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone casual but laced with curiosity.

“I forgot something in my office,” I replied curtly. “What about you?”

“Heading home,” he said simply.

His answer was harmless, but the way he looked at me...like he was trying to read my every thought...made my pulse quicken.

“Well,” I said, gesturing for him to move so the doors could close, “don’t let me keep you.”

But Elliot didn’t budge. Instead, he stepped forward, his expression unreadable.

“Susan,” he began, his voice softer now, “about earlier...”

“Don’t,” I interrupted, holding up a hand. “Whatever it was, it’s none of my business.”

His jaw tightened slightly. “It wasn’t what it looked like.”

“Right,” I said with a bitter smile. “It never is.”

The air between us grew thick with tension. I could feel his frustration radiating off him, but I wasn’t about to give him the satisfaction of a reaction.

After a moment, he stepped back, letting the doors close.

As the elevator ascended, I leaned against the wall, trying to steady my breathing.

Why did he have to look at me like that? Like I was the only person who mattered. Like he was trying to understand every thought running through my mind.

I didn’t want to care. I didn’t want to feel anything at all.

But as I stepped out of the elevator and into the quiet hallway, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I did.