IzzyThe rest of the day at work is nothing but tension, a thick, silent weight between Zade and me. He barely looks at me, his presence like a wall I can’t break through. He kissed me—just for a brief moment, I felt him give in, let down his guard, and the fear holding him back disappeared. But now, it’s like he regrets every second of it, avoiding me like I’m some kind of plague.Grabbing my bag, I start to pack up, feeling the sting of rejection still fresh. The memory of that kiss is so vivid, yet here I am, pretending it doesn’t matter, pretending he didn’t tear himself away like I was something he should never have touched.“Izzy, here,” Zade’s voice pulls me from my thoughts. I look up, surprised to see him waiting by the office door, his face unreadable. I step inside, hovering just inside the threshold, not wanting to close the distance between us.“I’m sorry for kissing you,” he says, his voice low and strained. “It was wrong. And… I’m sorry for snapping afterward too.”The w
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