Patience Heart

Changed too Far

After the presentation, the adrenaline still hadn't left my system. I could feel it pulsing through my veins, my hands trembling slightly from the weight of the moment. The relief of having gotten through it was clouded by the stress of Adam's presence. It was like being watched by a ghost from my past, one that knew exactly how to unnerve me. I needed a break, a breather from the whirlwind of emotions and pressure.

"I need to use the bathroom," I muttered to Richard as I gathered my things. "Meet you outside afterward?"

Richard nodded, understanding immediately. "Sure thing. I'll be in the garden, getting my fix. Great job in there, by the way."

"Thanks," I smiled weakly before heading toward the restroom. I could feel the tension coiling tightly in my chest. My heart hadn't stopped pounding since the moment I saw Adam in that boardroom, his gaze weighing on me the entire time.

In the restroom, I leaned against the sink and splashed cold water on my face. The coolness helped, but only a little. My reflection stared back at me, eyes betraying the anxiety underneath. "You've been through worse," I whispered to myself. "It's just Adam. He's just a person."

But he wasn't just a person. Adam had always been more than that—someone who had gotten under my skin. Seeing him again had stirred up emotions I thought I'd buried long ago. His presence had affected me far more than I was willing to admit.

I fixed my makeup, trying to force myself back into a semblance of calm. Lipstick, a quick touch of powder—anything to distract myself from the fact that my mind kept circling back to him. I had to get it together. This wasn't the time for old feelings to resurface.

Once I felt a bit more composed, I left the restroom and made my way outside to the garden area, where Richard was already waiting. We had agreed to meet there after the presentation to decompress and share a cigarette, something of a ritual for him after every high-stakes moment. I didn't smoke, but I liked the fresh air and the break from the office atmosphere. The garden was a peaceful escape, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the Chattame building.

As I walked toward the garden, I saw Richard sitting on one of the benches, casually smoking and scrolling through his phone. But he wasn't alone. There, right beside him, was Adam. And the shock of seeing him there hit me like a freight train.

Adam. Smoking.

I froze for a moment. The Adam I knew hated smoking—he couldn't even stand being around it. And yet here he was, cigarette in hand, talking to Richard as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"What the hell?" I whispered to myself, freezing in my tracks for a moment. The Adam I knew had been a staunch non-smoker. He hated the habit, hated even being around people who smoked. Yet here he was, sitting comfortably with a cigarette between his fingers, like it had always been part of his routine.

"Hey," I called out, trying to sound casual, though I felt anything but.

Richard looked up, smiling. "Hey, Ellie! That was one hell of a performance in there. You killed it."

I forced a smile, trying to act like everything was fine. "Thanks, Richard. Just glad it's over."

Hearing the name "Ellie" in Adam's presence felt strange. No one here knew who I really was—except him. He was the one person who could see through my disguise, and the thought made me uneasy.

Adam, silent until now, watched me with an unreadable expression, cigarette hanging lazily between his lips. He didn't say anything, but the weight of his gaze was unmistakable. He knew.

Richard, blissfully unaware, chuckled. "You had those board members eating out of the palm of your hand, Ellie. Never seen you so on point."

"High stakes, I guess," I replied, though my eyes were on Adam. He looked different. Not just the smoking—his entire demeanor had changed. He seemed more relaxed, but there was something colder, harder about him now.

Without a word, Adam reached for a glass on the table and handed it to me. I recognized the dark liquid inside.

"Here," he said, "thought you might need this."

Iced Americano. My go-to drink when I needed to unwind.

He remembered.

The realization hit me like a ton of bricks, and for a moment, I just stood there, staring at the glass in his hand. I wasn't sure what to feel. Gratitude? Annoyance? Why did he still know me so well, after all this time? And why did he think giving me this would make things better?

I took the glass from him, our fingers brushing briefly as I did. That brief touch sent a jolt through me, unexpected and unwelcome, and I quickly averted my gaze, taking a sip of the coffee to hide the turmoil in my chest.

"Thanks," I muttered, barely loud enough for him to hear.

Richard glanced between us, sensing the tension. "Do you two know each other?"

Before I could respond, Adam exhaled a slow stream of smoke and said, "Ask her."

The casual way he tossed the question back at me made my blood boil. How could he be so calm, so unaffected? Meanwhile, my heart was racing, my mind spinning.

I clenched the glass in my hand, forcing a smile. "Yeah," I finally said. "We go way back."

Understatement of the century.

Adam didn't say anything, just took another drag of his cigarette, eyes distant. The air between us was thick with unspoken things, but neither of us was willing to break the silence.

Richard, ever the peacemaker, chuckled. "Small world, huh? Funny how paths cross again."

"Yeah," I muttered, my voice hollow. "Funny."

But it wasn't funny. Not at all.

I took another sip of my Americano, hoping the bitter taste would ground me. But all I could think about was Adam. His calm indifference, the way he still knew exactly what drink I'd want, even after all these years.

I glanced at Richard, who was now talking animatedly about something work-related, completely oblivious to the tension swirling between me and Adam. I wished I could be that carefree, that unaware. But I couldn't. Not with Adam sitting there, reminding me of a time I had worked so hard to forget.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and glanced down at the glass in my hand. The ice was starting to melt, the condensation leaving small droplets on the surface of my skin. I felt the cold, but inside, I was burning. I couldn't stand this tension, this strange limbo we were in. I wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come.

Richard's voice cut through the silence. "Ellie, you okay?"

"Yeah," I lied, forcing a smile. "Just need a minute."

I excused myself, heading back inside, away from the suffocating tension, away from Adam. I needed air. Real air. Not the smoke-filled, emotion-laden air of that garden.

Inside the cool, sterile bathroom of the Chattame building, I stared at my reflection in the mirror. My makeup was still intact, my expression calm. But behind my eyes, the storm raged on. I splashed some cold water on my face, trying to shake off the feeling of Adam's gaze, the memory of his touch, the realization that he still knew me better than I knew myself.

I leaned against the sink, closing my eyes. Breathe, Viola. You've got this.