Spoiler alert: I didn't sleep.
Not even a little.
My brain was a full-blown fire drill. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw Leo's face. The way he said, I want you to ask me to stay.
I didn't. And now he might be gone.
I looked like roadkill in a hoodie when I got to the office the next morning. Miranda was already there, sipping green tea and judging me.
"Rough night, Romeo?"
"It's Juliet. And yes."
She slid a folder across the table. "Investors want a soft launch next week. Your fake romance seems to be converting real clicks. So congrats, you're now officially too successful to quit."
"Yay?"
She blinked. "Try again."
"YAY."
"Better. Now brush your hair. You're scaring the interns."
**
I found Leo in the supply room.
Because of course he'd be there. Hiding among Post-its and heartbreak.
"You're avoiding me," I said.
He looked up. His eyes were tired. His shoulders tense.
"Didn't want to pressure you."
"Well, congrats. Now I feel pressure and guilt."
He smirked. "Your emotional bingo card must be full."
I sat on a box of printer paper. "Look. I'm sorry. For not saying anything. For panicking. For being, you know... me."
He sat across from me. Close. Not close enough.
"I'm not asking you to change," he said.
"I'm not asking you to stay. But I want you to."
He nodded. Just once.
"Then give me a reason. A real one."
I stood. Pacing. Rambling.
"Because we work well together. Because you make me laugh. Because when everything's on fire, you hand me coffee instead of matches. And because—"
I stopped.
Because feelings are hard and I hadn't finished emotionally buffering.
"Because what?" he asked.
"Because I think I'm falling for you. And I don't know how to un-fake that."
**
We kissed again.
In the supply closet.
Surrounded by toner cartridges and outdated calendars.
Romantic, right?
But it was slow this time. Honest. Like we both knew what we were walking into.
And maybe we were finally okay with falling.
**
We came out of the closet—literally—and the team applauded.
"Congrats," Brittany said dryly. "At least it's finally real."
Jason handed us champagne. "Office gossip has reached peak drama. Well done."
I grinned. Leo bowed.
We toasted. We laughed. We didn't tell them we were still figuring it out.
Because that's what love is sometimes. A beta test.
**
That night, I walked into my apartment to find my mom on the couch.
Surprise.
"Your landlord let me in," she said, holding a pie.
"Of course he did."
"You looked thin in that last article."
I flopped down beside her. "Leo might be moving to New York."
She passed me a fork. "Then make him a reason to stay."
"I already did. I told him I like him. In supply room proximity."
She smiled. "Did you also tell him he scares you?"
I blinked. "Why would I say that?"
"Because the ones who matter usually do."
She had a point. Ugh. Moms.
**
Monday. One week to soft launch.
Leo came to work in his usual hoodie and impossible charm.
"I turned down the New York job," he said casually, like he was discussing lunch options.
I stared. "You what."
"Miranda offered me a partnership here. Equal stake."
"But—but—"
He stepped close. Took my hand.
"This is home now."
My heart did a weird flip.
And then Brittany barged in.
"You guys might want to check the app. Someone's been leaking our code."
Record scratch.
"What."
She spun her laptop around. Code repositories. IP addresses. A familiar email login.
Leo's face darkened. "Jason."
Of course it was Jason.
Because nothing says climax like betrayal, sabotage, and the tech bro from hell.