Beyond The Lie

Chapter 35: Close enough to kiss

Adeline.

My mind went into overdrive. Because, of course, it would. I mean, who doesn't love a good "oh-my-gosh-he's-standing-in-my-studio-at-midnight" kind of surprise? I straightened up, trying to play it cool, and adjusted my outfit. Hopefully, I didn't look like a hot mess. I mean, it's almost the end of the day, and I'd just freaked out like a lunatic.

"Eryx!" I said, trying to sound casual. Yeah, right. My heart was racing like I'd just run a marathon.

He smiled, and I... well, let's just say I didn't exactly handle it with grace. "Why are you working late?" he asked, his voice low and smooth. Oh, dear Lord, I'd missed that voice.

"Working on Susan's gown for the upcoming event," I replied, trying to sound professional. But let's be real, I was basically just trying not to swoon.

Eryx's expression changed, but I couldn't quite put my finger on what it was. Surprise? Curiosity? "Oh," he nodded, and I nodded back like a bobblehead.

I gestured to a chair. "Sit!" I said, trying to sound welcoming. But honestly, it was more like "please-don't-notice-how-crazy-I-am." I walked over to my own chair, feeling like I was in some kind of bizarre dream.

As we sat down, I couldn't help but think, What am I doing? Why am I welcoming him into my design room at midnight like he's coming over for dinner? But hey, at least the awkwardness was mutual, right?

I sat across from him, slowly meeting his gaze. Oops! He was already looking at me, his expression neutral. I was the one acting weird here.

I let out a sigh, trying to calm my nerves, but it didn't quite work. "What brought you here tonight?" I asked, quickly adding, "I mean, I asked in a nice way." I didn't want him to think I was being confrontational.

He shrugged casually. "Yeah, of course." He paused for a moment, and I found myself wishing he'd say something romantic, like "because I missed you." But instead, he said, "I wanted to talk to you about some stuff."

He nodded, and I felt a pang of disappointment. The butterfly that was about to take flight in my stomach rolled her eyes and flew back into hiding.

Thankfully, he didn't say something outrageous, like "I was in love with an employee here and came to see if she's still around." If that were the case, I'd have wished a ghost would've been a better surprise than Eryx.

I nodded, playing it cool. "Oh." I didn't want to end up like the second heroine who thinks she's the main character, only to realize she's just a side role.

"What's up?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.

Eryx leaned back in his chair. "You're staying late to work, right? Go ahead, I can wait." He added, "Only if you're okay with it, though."

I quickly reassured him, "Oh, no, I'm okay. Fine." I smiled, trying to sound sincere. "But it might get boring."

Watching someone work silently can be boring, after all. Eryx smiled and said, "I'll manage!" I looked at him, then quickly looked down, attempting to control the pink flush creeping up my cheeks.

The silence was awkward, partly because I'd paused the song after it buffered. "Would you mind if I...?" I asked, picking up my phone and showing him the playlist. "Music?"

Eryx nodded, doing that effortless head tilt that screamed "husband material." Ugh, stop it, Adelime! I blushed inwardly, feeling a flutter in my chest.

I hit play on some cozy music, which wasn't exactly the soundtrack to romance, but felt that way to me. Eryx sat across from me, his gaze fixed on me and my work. I couldn't help but wonder, why couldn't he just scroll through his phone or something? But no, he just kept staring. I could feel his eyes on me, making me twitchy.