Unfinished Business

Susan

I thought the heat of Elliot’s touch would linger longer than the tension in my chest, but as I sat across from Manuel Fernandez in the sleek glass conference room, the memory of Elliot’s possessive kiss was already fading beneath the weight of unspoken words.

Manuel wasn’t just an artist. He was a man with shadows in his eyes, the kind that hinted at stories left untold. Stories that, somehow, were tied to me.

He leaned back in his chair, one arm draped lazily over the backrest, his dark eyes flickering with something I couldn’t quite place. Amusement? Nostalgia? I couldn’t tell.

“You don’t remember me, do you?” he asked, his voice smooth, almost teasing.

I swallowed, my mind racing. There was something familiar about him...the sharp angle of his jaw, the curve of his lips when he smiled. But the memory was hazy, like trying to grasp smoke.

“I’m sorry,” I admitted, my voice quieter than I intended. “Should I?”

His smile didn’t fade, but it changed, softening into something almost… sad.

“You stopped me from jumping.”

The words hit me like a punch to the gut.

I blinked, my breath catching in my throat. Images from years ago, buried deep in the recesses of my mind, suddenly surfaced. A rooftop. The edge of a building. A man standing too close to the precipice, his face shadowed, his despair palpable.

Oh my God.

“You...” I started, my voice shaky. “That was you?”

He nodded, his expression unreadable. “I never forgot you, Susan.”

The room felt too small, the air too thick. I remembered that night like a dream...a desperate attempt to save a stranger from himself. But I’d never known his name. Never expected to see him again, let alone here, in this polished office, with the weight of his gaze pressing down on me.

Before I could respond, the door to the conference room swung open, and Elliot stepped inside.

His eyes immediately locked onto mine, then flicked to Manuel. Whatever he saw there ignited a spark of possessiveness in him, the same one that had driven him to claim me on his desk just hours before.

“Fernandez,” Elliot greeted coolly, his gaze hardening. “I trust everything’s going smoothly?”

Manuel’s lips curled into a slow, knowing smile. “Very smoothly. Susan’s been… exceptionally helpful.”

I felt Elliot’s energy shift, the tension radiating off him like heat from a furnace. He moved to stand behind me, his hand landing possessively on my shoulder. A silent claim.

“That’s good to hear,” Elliot said, his tone deceptively calm. “But let’s not forget why you’re here. This is business, after all.”

Manuel’s smile didn’t falter. If anything, it deepened, like he relished the undercurrent of rivalry between them.

“Of course,” he replied smoothly. “But some things are more… personal, don’t you think?”

I stiffened under Elliot’s touch, my heart pounding in my chest. Manuel was playing a dangerous game, and I wasn’t sure who the real target was...me or Elliot.

Elliot’s grip on my shoulder tightened ever so slightly. “I don’t mix business with personal.”

Manuel chuckled, low and dark. “We’ll see about that.”

With that, he stood, giving me one last lingering look before strolling out of the room, leaving behind a silence so thick it was suffocating.

I turned to Elliot, his jaw clenched, his eyes stormy.

“Elliot...” I started, but he cut me off.

“What the hell is going on between you two?” His voice was low, controlled, but I could hear the anger simmering beneath the surface.

“Nothing,” I said quickly, standing to face him. “It’s not like that.”

He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “It sure doesn’t look like nothing, Susan.”

I reached for his hand, but he pulled away, pacing the room like a caged animal.

“He’s playing with you,” Elliot muttered, more to himself than to me. “And you’re letting him.”

“Elliot, stop.” My voice was firm, sharper than I intended. “I’m not letting him do anything. I didn’t even remember who he was until just now.”

That made him pause. He turned to me, his eyes narrowing. “What do you mean?”

I took a deep breath, the weight of the revelation pressing down on me. “I stopped him from jumping off a building years ago. I didn’t know his name then, and I didn’t recognize him now.”

Elliot stared at me, his expression unreadable. For a moment, I thought he might say something...anything. But instead, he just shook his head, a bitter smile tugging at his lips.

“This isn’t over,” he said quietly, before walking out and leaving me alone with the ghosts of our unfinished business.