I grip a pencil until my hand aches and try to draw a willow. It should look soft and dreamy. But the lines come out jagged. The branches don't weep, they claw.
This isn't a fairy tale sketch. It's a warning sign.
I crumple the page and toss it on the growing pile. He didn't influence my work. He's poisoned the way I create.
The music blares on, shrieking and snarling.
I don't hear his steps on the stairs, but I feel him. A shift. A drop in pressure. He's here.
"Morning," he says, voice raised to cut through the sound.
I don't look at him. "Kincaid," I say flatly. His name, the name.
He pauses. Processes. I feel him. I feel the tiny pause in his breath, the pivot of his attention. He's analyzing. Calculating. Trying to make sense of the continued ice.
"Everything okay?" he asks.
No. Nothing is okay. The man I started to fall for doesn't exist.
"I'm fine," I lie. "Busy."
He tries again. Professional. Measured. "I was thinking about the marine batteries you'll need for the enchanted forest proposal. That battery supplier has a three-week lead time. You may need to"
"I'll handle it," I cut in.
I don't need his help. I don't want his insight. I don't want anything from him.
I glance up. Once. Enough to catch it, that flicker in his expression. Confusion. Maybe even hurt.
He sighs. Shakes his head. A quiet, almost imperceptible movement. Then he turns, walks back toward the stairs. Each step measured. Distant. He doesn't say another word.
And it wrecks me. Because what if I'm wrong? What if I misjudged him? But then again, what if I didn't? I don't know which version of him to believe. The man who steadied my hands and made me feel seen, or the one who took apart a town like it was another contract? Every time I think I've figured him out, the ground shifts. And now I don't trust my instincts. Because if I can't trust myself, who can I trust?
My laptop pings. I glance at the screen, and his name is there.
Mason Kincaid.
Subject RE: Proposal Logistics – Enchanted Forest.
Cold. Efficient. Corporate. Perfect.
Maddy,
Per our conversation, please see below for three alternative suppliers for the high-capacity marinebatteries. I've included current lead times, cost-per-unit, and a summary of their service reviews
Supplier A Lowest cost, four-day lead time. Mixed reviews on customer service.
Supplier B Mid-range cost, seven-day lead time. Excellent reviews, local to upstate NY.
