I arrived at the office feeling like a shell of myself my body was there, but my mind felt distant, hovering over the events of the past few days
Sleep had been scarce, and every time I closed my eyes, I replayed everything that had happened with Rebe—Ms. Whitmore over and over
The way she touched me, the softness of her voice, the intensity in her eyes, I felt hollow, like something important had been taken from me
I hadn't eaten breakfast; the thought of food made my stomach turn, all I wanted was some kind of normalcy, some sign that everything hadn't changed between us
As I walked into the office, I scanned the room automatically, my heart dropped when I saw her Rebecca was standing near the window, talking to a coworker
Her back was to me, her posture stiff, shoulders drawn up as if she were holding herself together with sheer force of will
She must have felt my eyes on her because she turned slightly, meeting my gaze for the briefest moment
That single glance was enough to shatter the fragile hope I had been clinging to Ms. Whitmore's expression was cold—her eyes distant, her face a mask of professional indifference, there was no sign of the woman who had held me so tenderly, It was as though the connection we had shared was gone, like it had never existed in the first place
I tried to swallow the lump forming in my throat, my hands trembling as I gripped the strap of my bag tighter
Don't cry, I told myself, not here; not in front of her I forced my legs to keep moving, to take me to my desk even though all I wanted to do was run and hide
My eyes stung, but I blinked the tears away, determined not to let them fall. Not here
I sat down at my desk, staring blankly at the computer screen in front of me, my hands hovered over the keyboard, but I couldn't focus on anything, the words blurred together, my thoughts a jumble of confusion and hurt
How could she be so cold? How could she act like nothing had happened between us?
The ache in my chest grew heavier, and I found myself struggling to breathe I needed to pull myself together, to get through the day without breaking down, every time I thought about her, the weight of it all became too much to bear
It wasn't long before Mia noticed something was wrong, she always had a way of sensing when something was off, her eyes full of concern as she approached my desk
"Emma?" she asked softly, leaning down so we were at eye level. "Are you okay?"
I tried to nod, to give her some reassurance, but the gesture felt empty. Mia wasn't fooled, she studied my face for a long moment, her brow furrowed in worry
"Come with me," she said gently, her hand resting on my shoulder. "Let's talk in my office."
I hesitated, afraid that if I moved, the fragile control I had over my emotions would crumble, Mia's touch was firm yet comforting, and I found myself standing and following her down the hallway
The walk to her office felt like a blur, and I barely registered the curious glances from our coworkers as we passed by my mind was too consumed by the storm of emotions swirling inside me
Once we were inside her office, Mia closed the door behind us, sealing us off from the rest of the world, she gestured for me to sit on the couch, and I sank into it, my hands clasped tightly in my lap she sat beside me, her expression gentle but concerned
"Emma, talk to me," she urged softly. "What's going on?"
I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn't come Instead, all the emotions I had been trying so hard to suppress came rushing to the surface
The tears that I had fought so desperately to hold back spilled over, and I broke down right there in front of Mia
Sobs wracked my body as I buried my face in my hands, the pain and confusion overwhelming me Mia didn't hesitate, she wrapped her arms around me, pulling me into her embrace
Her warmth was a comfort I hadn't realized I needed, and I clung to her as if she were the only thing keeping me from falling apart completely
"Shh, it's okay," Mia whispered, her hand stroking my hair. "You're safe here. Let it out."
Her voice was soothing, and I leaned into her, letting her hold me as I cried, my tears soaked her shirt, but she didn't seem to mind
She just kept whispering comforting words, her arms never loosening their hold on me
"I'm sorry," I choked out between sobs. "I'm so sorry..."
"There's nothing to be sorry about," she reassured me, her voice steady. "You've been through a lot. It's okay to cry, you don't have to hold it all in."
I nodded weakly, though I wasn't sure if I believed her, The guilt and shame gnawed at me, making me feel even more vulnerable, Mia's presence was grounding, and slowly, my sobs began to quiet
We stayed like that for a long time her holding me, her fingers running soothingly through my hair
Gradually, my breathing evened out, and the tears stopped flowing yet the ache in my chest remained, a dull throb that refused to go away
The sound of the door opening barely registered at first I was still too caught up in my emotions, too focused on the comfort of Mia's embrace, then I heard a familiar voice, and my body tensed instinctively
"Is this a bad time?"
Rebecca's voice was calm, almost indifferent, but there was an underlying tension to it that I couldn't ignore, my heart lurched in my chest, and I stiffened in Mia's arms, my mind racing
Mia didn't let go of me, though, she kept one arm around my shoulders, her other hand resting on my back in a protective gesture
"Rebecca, not now," Mia said firmly, her voice taking on a sharper edge. "Emma needs some space."
I didn't dare look up I couldn't face Rebecca right now, not after everything that had happened my head remained buried against Mia's shoulder, and I squeezed my eyes shut, hoping that if I stayed still enough, I could disappear
There was a tense silence, and I could feel the weight of Rebecca's gaze on me, but I couldn't bring myself to meet her eyes
My mind was too foggy, too overwhelmed by everything that had happened I couldn't think clearly, couldn't make sense of the situation all I knew was that being near Rebecca hurt, and I wasn't ready to confront that pain just yet
"Mia, can we need to talk" Rebecca said, her tone more insistent now. "This is important."
Mia's hand tightened on my shoulder. "Later, Rebecca," she repeated firmly. "Right now, I need to be here for Emma."
Another silence followed, this one even more tense than before I could sense the frustration radiating off Rebecca, but I couldn't bring myself to care, all I wanted was for this moment to end—for the tension and confusion to fade away so I could breathe again
Finally, I heard the soft click of the door closing, signaling Rebecca's departure I let out a shaky breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, my body sagging against Mia in relief, the tension in the room eased, and I felt Mia's arms tighten around me once more
"It's okay, Emma," she murmured softly. "You don't have to worry about her right now. Just focus on yourself, okay?"
I nodded weakly, the weight of the day settling over me like a heavy blanket, my body felt drained, my mind exhausted,but for the first time since days, I felt a small sense of peace I wasn't alone, Mia is here with me, and that was a relief
We stayed like that for a while longer, Mia's steady presence providing the comfort I so desperately needed
Eventually, the fog in my mind began to lift, and I found myself breathing a little easier, the pain was still there, but it didn't feel as suffocating as before
YOU ARE READING
The Space Between Us
Romance"If you wanted to feel my touch, you only had to say," her voice was a sultry whisper, her fingers brushing against my heated skin My breath hitched as her lips hovered near her ear, "All this tension, Emma don't pretend you're not drawn to me." Emm...
