7. he is not that scary

The apartment smelled of tea and cookies as I walked through the door. I didn’t realize how tense my shoulders were until I stepped inside and let the door click shut behind me. Compared to the frozen weather outside, stepping inside felt like heaven.

I sighed, long and heavy.

“Hey, you’re home early,” Claire’s voice drifted from the kitchen.

I set my bag down by the door and followed the scent of tea. Claire sat cross-legged on the countertop, stirring milk into a steaming mug.

“It’s Friday,” I replied, leaning against the doorframe.

She grinned, handing me a cup. “I know you—tea with lots of milk, no sugar.” Claire had this way of anticipating things—like she could read people without them saying a word.

I took a sip, feeling the warmth settle in my chest.

"you are the first person I know who adds most milk in the tea." she said softly, hopping down from the counter, "you look like you need it."

I raised an eyebrow. “Is that your polite way of telling me I look terrible?”

“I didn't say that,” Claire laughed, “but you do look tired.”

She wasn’t wrong.

“Rough day?” she asked.

I shrugged. “Daniel rejected one of my reports. Olivia’s… Olivia. But nothing catastrophic.”

She tilted her head, waiting.

“And my mum called,” I added, my voice quieter.

Claire’s smile faded just slightly. “Ah. The usual?”

I nodded, staring into the cup.

Claire didn’t push. She rarely did—always making space without filling it, as if she understood silence better than most.

“You know,” she said after a while, “I’d tell you to ignore her, but that’s not really how it works, is it?”

I smiled faintly. “No. Not really.”

“Anyway,” Claire said, shifting gears like someone who knew exactly when to let things go. “Life will get easier. At least your mum isn’t physically here. And you’ve only been at your new job for a month.”

Then her eyes narrowed mischievously. “Okay, so… any potential boyfriends for our lovely Maggie at work?”

I laughed. I hadn’t expected that.

“Don’t think so. You’d be disappointed. Liam’s taken, and the rest of the guys barely know I exist.”

“You never know. Maybe they’re just shy.” She smirked. “If I were a guy, I’d definitely date you.”

“Haha, come on,” I tapped her shoulder. “But Daniel surprised me today.”

“What happened?”

“He was really serious about the lab reports when he asked me to fix them. But later, Olivia and I had different opinions on the experiment. I thought he’d side with her, but he said I had a point.”

“Wow,” Claire’s mouth dropped. “So he’s not that scary, then. Maybe he likes you.”

“Oh my god, you’re so dramatic,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Daniel doesn’t seem like he’s interested in relationships. All he cares about are experiments.”

“Don’t be so sure, Maggie,” she teased, dipping her tea bag one last time. “People aren’t always what they seem.” Her voice softened as she stared into the cup. “I had a long day too. The bookshop was packed. I think I’ll head to bed early… but I’m off tomorrow. If you want to vent and grab drinks, let me know.”

I smiled. “I’ll hold you to that.”

As she stood to head toward her room, I watched her for a moment, feeling that familiar sense of comfort I always felt around her.

It never crossed my mind to ask if she needed the same thing from me.