The Promotion

Chapter Twenty-Five

As the days passed, I made a conscious decision to keep my distance from Alexander.

It wasn't easy. It felt unnatural, like forcing myself to breathe shallowly when my lungs wanted air. I knew what he did to me—how his presence alone altered the rhythm of my body, how one look from him could unravel my resolve. I couldn't put it into words without admitting the truth to myself, and that was something I wasn't ready to do.

Still, deep down, it hurt.

I wanted his warmth again. Wanted the way his voice wrapped around me, low and deliberate, as if he were speaking only for me. I wanted the quiet intensity of his attention, the way he made me feel seen in a way that terrified me.

And that was exactly why I had to stop it.

Whenever Alexander approached me, I kept my eyes trained elsewhere. A glance too long and I'd be lost—dragged under by those dark, knowing eyes. They had a way of pulling me in, of making the rest of the world dissolve until there was only him.

Meetings were the worst.

We often sat side by side, close enough that our thighs brushed when one of us shifted. Every accidental touch sent sparks skittering up my spine, forcing me to clench my jaw, to ground myself. I'd dig my nails into my palm beneath the table, reminding myself—engaged, Louisa. You're engaged.

Every morning, Calum and I got ready for work together. And every morning, I told myself this was what I'd wanted. That this—this domestic normality—was the life I had fought so hard to rebuild.

I watched myself in the bathroom mirror as I brushed my teeth, my reflection staring back at me like a stranger. My eyes traced my own body, betraying me as memories surfaced—Alexander's hands, the places he'd touched, the way it had felt like my skin remembered him.

It was ridiculous. And dangerous.

No. I can't think like this.

I was getting married in four weeks. Calum was the man I was supposed to be thinking about. The man I loved.

"Hey, babe."

Calum stepped into the bathroom, already dressed for work. "I'm heading off now. See you later?"

I rinsed my mouth quickly and leaned in to kiss him. Once. Twice. A third time.

Nothing.

No rush. No spark. No warmth blooming beneath my skin.

I pulled back, forcing a smile.

"Babe?" he chuckled. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," I said lightly. "Can't I kiss my fiancé?"

He cupped my cheeks, pressing gentle kisses to my forehead, my nose, then my lips. It was sweet. Familiar. Safe.

"See you later," he murmured before leaving.

The door clicked shut, and my smile faded almost instantly.

I exhaled slowly, bracing myself against the sink. I loved Calum. So why did it feel like something vital was missing? Like a puzzle with one piece stubbornly absent, no matter how hard I tried to ignore the gap.

I straightened, determined. I would fix this. I had to.

⸻

Before work, I stopped at Jo's Café. I needed coffee—strong, grounding, something to shake me awake.

The familiar aroma wrapped around me as I stepped inside: coffee, caramel, cinnamon. It was comforting, anchoring. I inhaled deeply, letting the scent settle my nerves.