𝐑 𝐔 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄?¹ - juan soto

9.

last night had changed everything.

the rain had stopped by morning, leaving the streets of seattle gleaming under a muted gray sky. lyra sat in the corner of the hotel's café, nursing a lukewarm cup of coffee and ignoring the untouched croissant on her plate. her mind was a mess of tangled emotions, none of which she could fully process.

the memory of juan's kiss lingered like an electric charge under her skin, a constant reminder of the line she had crossed. she had told herself it was just a moment, a lapse in judgment that could be buried and forgotten.

but deep down, she knew better.

her phone buzzed on the table, pulling her out of her thoughts. it was a text from her editor:

Call me. Now.

lyra's stomach sank. the man hadn't contacted her in weeks, giving her space to work on her follow up. what happened? she swiped to unlock her phone and dialed, bracing herself.

"finally," his rough, raspy voice said the moment she picked up. "what's going on over there?" his tone was laced with irritation. fear rose within her.

"what are you talking about?"

"don't play dumb. there are rumors flying around about you and soto. some local sports blog claims they saw him leaving your room last night."

the blood drained from lyra's face. "that's not true," she lied. "it's gossip, some desperate writer trying to make a name for themselves."

he sighed on the other end of the line. "look, i don't care what you do in your personal life, but this is a problem. you're supposed to be covering him objectively, not... whatever this is."

lyra clenched her jaw, the familiar sting of frustration building. "it's gossip sir, i swear to god it's not true."

"gossip that could ruin your credibility," her editor said sharply. "fix it. and fast."

the line went dead, leaving lyra gripping her phone tightly.

she'd barely had time to process his warning before another presence made itself known.

"bad news?"

she looked up sharply to see juan standing in the doorway of the café, his hands shoved into his jacket pockets. he looked tired, his hair still damp from a recent shower.

"what are you doing here?" she asked, her voice sharper than intended.

juan raised a brow but didn't move. "saw you from the lobby. thought i'd check in."

"don't." she glanced around the café, her nerves fraying. "you shouldn't be here."

he frowned, stepping closer. "why not?"

"because people are talking," she hissed, her voice low. "someone saw you leaving my room last night."

juan, his jaw tightening. "who?"

"does it matter?" lyra snapped. "the point is, this is exactly what i was afraid of. this—whatever this is—it can't happen."

juan pulled out the chair across from her and sat down, ignoring her glare. "so, that's it? one rumor and you're ready to throw everything away?"

"everything?" she repeated, incredulous. "this was never 'everything.' it was a mistake. a moment."

his eyes darkened, the intensity in them pinning her to her seat. "you don't believe that."