Bridging Hearts

14. Right ?

Her

The morning light was creeping through the curtains, pulling me out of the haze of sleep. I stretched, my body protesting with a groan as I reluctantly rolled out of bed. The events of last night-Dante's unexpected call, the aborted romantic evening, and the way he looked at me-felt like a distant dream. Only it wasn't a dream; it was my very real, very awkward reality.

I shuffled into the bathroom, the cold tile under my feet a jarring contrast to the warmth of the bed. As the hot water cascaded over me in the shower, my mind began its usual morning routine of overthinking everything.

"Should I avoid  Mr. Grump today?" I mused, the steam fogging up the bathroom mirror. "I mean, avoiding him might save me from further awkwardness. I could just tell him I'm busy or something."

"But, Tara, you've got to work on his office today. Avoiding him would be like avoiding your own shadow."

"Yes, but if I see him, I might remember last night's incident and feel weird ."

"You're going to see him either way. Acting normal is probably the best route. Plus, he needs the office work done, and avoiding him isn't going to solve anything. It'll just make it worse."

"Fine, but what if he brings it up? Or worse, what if he tries to make small talk and I end up embarrassing myself?"

"You're overthinking. Just be yourself. Act like nothing happened. It'll be fine."

"But what if-"

"Tara! Stop. You're talking to yourself in the shower. Just get ready and go downstairs for breakfast. It's not the end of the world."

So, with a sigh of resignation, I finished my shower and got ready.

As I headed downstairs for breakfast, I tried to ignore the small knot of anxiety in my stomach. I passed by the kitchen and noticed the smell of fresh coffee wafting through the air. I made my way to the table, where a simple breakfast was laid out. The food was a welcome distraction, though my mind still kept wandering back to last night.

I poured myself a cup of coffee and sat down, attempting to act like everything was normal. I went through the motions-taking a bite of toast, sipping my coffee-trying to focus on the mundane task of breakfast.

I couldn't deny it though; part of me was curious about what the day would bring. Would Dante mention last night, or would we both pretend it never happened? I guess only time would tell.

For now, I took another sip of my coffee, braced myself for whatever the day would throw at me, and hoped that navigating the awkwardness wouldn't be as complicated as my morning debate had been. As long as I kept my cool, everything would be fine.

Right?

Him

I stood in front of the mirror, running a hand through my hair as I was getting ready for a shower. That's when I noticed it—a faint red lipstick stain on my neck. I chuckled softly, my mind flashing back to last night. It wasn't what I expected, but that dance with Tara... it left a mark on more than just my neck.

Shaking off the thoughts, I quickly scrubbed away the stain and finished getting ready. I had a full day ahead, and there was no time to dwell on what could've been. As I left the house and made my way to the office, my thoughts kept drifting back to her. To Tara. I knew she'd be there today, setting up for the work on my office, and the thought made the usual routine feel slightly more interesting.

When I arrived, Arjun was already in his office, buried in his work. No surprise there. As I approached my office, I saw her. She was busy setting up her materials, measuring the walls and scribbling down notes with a focused expression. Her hair was pulled back, but a few loose strands framed her face, giving her an almost ethereal look under the soft lighting.

"Morning, Petardo," I said, a playful smile on my face.

"Good morning, Mr. Grump," she replied, her voice carrying a hint of awkwardness as she gave me a brief, polite smile.

I noticed a few of the samples she had laid out were not quite to my taste. "You know, Petardo, some of these swatches are a bit too... bright, don't you think?"

She looked up, clearly irritated, and shot me a glare. "You know, you could try being a little less impossible."

I raised an eyebrow, but instead of feeling confident, I felt a bit flustered by her straightforwardness. "Impossible, am I?"

She rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Yes, you are."

I opened my mouth to say something, but found myself hesitating. There was an awkward silence as I struggled to find the right words. It was strange—usually, I knew exactly what to say, but with Tara, it was different. She made me feel... off balance.

After a moment, I finally managed, "I didn't mean to... I just think maybe something a bit more neutral might work better."

Her expression softened slightly, though I could still see a flicker of irritation in her eyes. "I'll take that into consideration," she said, her tone a bit more neutral as she turned back to her materials.

I nodded, feeling a bit relieved that the tension had eased, but still not entirely sure what to make of the exchange. The rest of the day passed by with the usual tasks, though I found myself glancing at Tara more often than I probably should have. Each time, she was focused on her work, and each time, I felt a strange mixture of admiration and discomfort.

As the workday came to an end, I was looking forward to heading home and maybe processing the whirlwind of emotions that had been stirring lately. But just as I was about to leave, Arjun cursed under his breath. The car wasn't starting, and to make matters worse, it looked like the sky was threatening to snow.

Arjun called a mechanic, but it would be a while before they arrived. He tried to convince Tara to go home with me, but she insisted she could wait with him. Typical of her—stubborn and headstrong. But Arjun was just as insistent, reminding her of the incoming snow and how it was better for her to be home and warm.

"I trust Dante won't do anything wrong," Arjun said, looking at me with a smile.

I tried not to let his words sting. It wasn't like I hadn't considered—shut up, Dante.

I shook off the thought as Tara reluctantly agreed. I opened the car door for her, and she settled into the passenger seat with a sigh. The drive was quiet, much like last night, but there was a tension in the air that hadn't been there before.

When we arrived, the first flakes of snow began to fall. Tara's eyes widened in surprise, and before I could say anything, she was out of the car, stepping into the snow.

She twirled around, her face lighting up with pure joy as the snowflakes landed on her hair, her eyelashes, her nose. She looked...

God, she looked like she belonged to the moment. Like the snow was meant to fall just for her. She looked... mine.

She belonged to me. The thought was terrifying and thrilling all at once. She wasn't just Arjun's sister or a colleague—she was something more, something I hadn't let myself acknowledge until now.

But that's the problem, isn't it? She's off limits.

But even knowing that, I can't help it. I like her. More than I should.

And for the first time in a long time, I'm not sure what the hell to do.

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