We were once inseparable—high school sweethearts with dreams of the future, until it all fell apart. Now, after years of no contact, our fathers have merged their companies, and here we are—forced to work together again. Aaron Reid, 21 and a director at the company, walks through the halls with quiet confidence, his presence undeniable. He’s still the same, but different—a far cry from the guy I once knew.

The chemistry between us is undeniable, even though we both pretend it’s not there. He acts like I don’t affect him, but I can see the way his eyes linger when we cross paths. There’s always that brief, electric moment where it feels like nothing has changed. But we’re both professionals now, and it’s clear neither of us wants to revisit the past. Still, I can’t shake the feeling that it’s only a matter of time before everything we once shared comes rushing back.

Every time we interact, the tension thickens. He’ll check in on me when no one else is around, and I know he’s pretending like nothing happened. The more time we spend together, the harder it becomes to ignore what’s still there between us, just beneath the surface. Suddenly, my phone buzzes, pulling me from my thoughts. A meeting notification pops up, and I check the time—only a few minutes left before it starts. I assume it’s with the whole team, but when I walk into the conference room, I find it’s just me and Aaron sitting across from each other.

We wait in silence, both glancing at our watches every so often. Fifteen minutes pass, then twenty. It’s just us, like old times—awkward but familiar. I start to wonder if anyone else is actually coming when Aaron finally leans back in his chair, breaking the silence.

“Well, I guess it’s just us, huh?” He smirks, his blue eyes locking with mine. “I’m starting to think they’re avoiding us on purpose.”