Chapter 77

(Emily's POV).

Mike leaned against the counter, his eyes watching me carefully. His gaze held a mix of concern and anticipation, as if he was waiting for me to reveal how I truly felt about last night.

“How’d you sleep?” he asked again, a little softer this time, as though he already knew my answer.

I sipped the coffee he handed me, letting the warmth settle the unease still lingering from the night before.

“Better than I thought I would,” I replied, though my voice didn’t sound as convincing as I’d hoped.

Mike’s eyes flickered with understanding. “It was a lot to handle,” he admitted, moving closer to me. “You being there, with him... It was bound to stir up something.”

I stared into my coffee, swirling it around absentmindedly, trying to push away the thoughts of Ben’s lingering glances, the tension that had filled the room like a heavy fog. No matter how much I wanted to pretend last night didn’t affect me, it did.

“Yeah, it brought up a lot of old feelings,” I admitted quietly, f