The week slipped past in a rhythm that felt dangerously close to married life. Work during the day, spreadsheets and numbers blurring until they finally began to make sense.

Evenings at home, where Val's smile and Duchess's lazy stretches welcomed me like I'd earned some hidden treasure. Dinner together, sometimes her cooking, sometimes mine, sometimes take-out when she insisted neither of us should lift a finger. Then the quiet after—her laughter at some video, the warmth of her legs tucked beneath her, my head resting against the pillow beside her.

It was simple. Too simple. And yet, it was everything.

If not for the glances—the barely-there flickers from Tasha at the office, eyes catching on me longer than they should have—I might have believed life could stay like this forever. But I ignored them. No room in my chest for anyone else when Val was still here, when every hour counted.

Now, less than twenty-four hours remained. Friday bled into evening, and with it, the creeping realization that tomorrow she'd be gone.

A Saturday flight, almost poetic in its timing. No work to chain me away, no excuse to keep me from seeing her off. Whether she'd planned it that way or the universe had finally decided to stop mocking me, I didn't know. I only knew I was grateful.

The office was winding down, keyboards going quiet, chairs scraping against tile. I was double-checking a column on the Bilmirage account report when Derrick's voice cut across the hum.

"Kai," he called from a desk away, grin already forming. "We've got team dinner after work. You're coming, right?"

I blinked, halfway through an adjustment, then swiveled toward him. "Uh… actually, I've got other plans tonight."

From her seat, Priya lifted her head, arching one perfectly sharp brow. "Other plans?" Her mouth curved into something that was almost a smirk. "Way to rub it in our faces. Some of us have no one waiting at home, you know."

Derrick's laugh was loud, bouncing off the walls. "No way. Did Priya just make a joke? Mark the calendar, people, this is historic."

I chuckled softly, shaking my head, already turning back to my work. But the reprieve didn't last.

Footsteps. Calm, measured. Tasha. She appeared beside Derrick's desk, a file in hand. "Clarkson wanted this signed before Monday," she said, her voice smooth, precise, eyes briefly scanning Derrick before she handed him the document.

Derrick flipped it open, then, as if he couldn't help himself, tossed out casually, "Hey, Tasha. Guess what? Kai's ditching us again for dinner tonight."

Her gaze shifted to me. Steady. Unblinking.

I froze under it, like she was weighing me, calculating something invisible on the surface. A pause too long, then she inclined her head. "It's compulsory, Kai."

My mouth opened, then closed again. "Compulsory?"

Her tone didn't waver. "Team dinners are part of integration. They're where trust is built. And since you're still the newest on the team, it applies doubly to you." A faint, almost imperceptible curve touched her lips—not a smile, not really. "Unless, of course, you'd rather explain to Mr. Clarkson why you're skipping the first one."

Derrick's grin widened like a kid who'd just seen someone else get cornered. "Ooooh. She's got you there."

Priya rolled her eyes, muttering, "Finally. Someone put him in line."

I exhaled, my protest dying before it reached my lips. Tasha had played it smart—too smart. There was no polite way out, not when she'd anchored it to professionalism and Clarkson's authority.

"Fine," I said, rubbing the back of my neck. "I'll come."

"Good," she replied simply, already turning away, the matter settled as if it had never been in question. Her heels clicked against the floor, steady, precise, until she disappeared back to her desk.

Derrick clapped his hands together, triumphant. "Yes! Finally, the whole team. This is going to be great."

Priya only sighed, snapping her laptop shut.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the half-finished spreadsheet on my screen, but my mind wasn't on numbers anymore. It wasn't even on dinner.

All I could think was: I'd rather be home. With Val. With the smell of her shampoo lingering on the pillow, with Duchess curled at the foot of the bed, with laughter filling the silence instead of this sterile office air.

No, not just rather. I needed to be there.

Because tomorrow, when she's gone, I wouldn't get the chance again, not for a very long time.

---

The office emptied faster than usual, as if everyone was rushing to escape into their Friday evening plans. I lingered, laptop shut, jacket slung over one arm, the weight of inevitability pressing on me. The team dinner.

Outside, the evening air was cool, crisp in the way only city nights could manage. I pulled out my phone and dialed that familiar number.

Val answered almost immediately, her face filling the screen. She was sprawled across our bed, hair loose, pillow half-hugged beneath her chin. The sight tugged something warm in me.

"You're not on your way home," she said, narrowing her eyes, mock suspicion written all over her.

I scratched the back of my neck, sheepish. "Yeah… about that. Team dinner tonight. I'll be home late."

Her groan was so dramatic I had to laugh. "Fine," she sighed, throwing her arm across her forehead like a heroine in a tragic play. "I'll just wait here. In silent misery. Alone. While you abandon me for… spreadsheets and small talk."

I shook my head, smiling despite the ache in my chest. "You'll survive."

Her eyes softened, that playful glint still there. "Don't talk to any girls."

The laugh came easy this time. "I won't. Don't worry."

"Good." She leaned in, pressing a kiss to her screen. "Now go. And hurry back to me."

"I will."

The call ended, leaving the faint reflection of my own face staring back before the screen went dark.

"Damn," a whistle cut through the quiet behind me. "That's your girl?"

I turned. Derrick was grinning, hands in his pockets like he'd just uncovered a state secret.

"Yeah," I said simply, tucking my phone away.

"No wonder you're always ditching us," he teased, shaking his head with mock indignation. "If I had that waiting at home, I'd sprint out of here every evening too."

I chuckled, unlocking the SUV. "Glad you understand."

"Understand? I respect it," Derrick said, climbing into the passenger seat. "Still, I'll give you grief about it just to keep you humble."

The drive was filled with his easy banter, jokes about Priya's impossible standards and Tasha's unnerving way of looking at people like she was solving a puzzle. I laughed where I could, though my thoughts kept drifting back to Val, the ghost of her smile still clinging to me.

The restaurant was already buzzing when we arrived. Warm lighting, low music, the kind of place that tried hard to balance casual and professional. Our table was set in the corner, Priya already there, a glass of wine in hand, and Tasha seated neatly across from her, posture perfect even off the clock.

The evening unfolded in laughter and chatter. Derrick ordered for the table, because of course he did. Priya sipped her drink with that sharp look of hers, though the edges softened the more the alcohol settled in. Tasha, as always, was composed, speaking when necessary but never more than that.

Plates clattered down, conversation flowing like the wine. I stuck to water, letting the others indulge. Someone had to be sober enough to remember the night—and to drive home.

And then, because Derrick never could resist stirring a pot, he leaned back in his chair, smirk widening. "Have you guys seen Kai's girl?"

I nearly choked on my water. My eyes darted to him, silently begging him not to.

Priya perked up instantly. "You've seen her?"

"Yep," Derrick said, unbothered, grin practically stretching ear to ear. "Caught him on a video call earlier. And damn…" He shook his head, as if words weren't enough. "I'd skip dinners too if I had that waiting at home every night."

My hand dragged down my face. "Wow. Thanks for that, Derrick. Really appreciate the subtlety."

"You're welcome," he shot back, grinning wider.

Priya laughed, shaking her head. "Unbelievable. And here I thought you were just antisocial."

Derrick leaned toward her. "Nope. Turns out our guy's just madly in love."

They laughed, the sound bouncing off the wood-paneled walls. Even Tasha's lips curved, though it didn't quite reach her eyes. I didn't notice. My focus was on keeping my expression neutral, keeping my private life where it belonged—at home, not dissected over shared plates and wine glasses.

An hour stretched long, the kind of long that came from wanting to be somewhere else. Finally, I leaned back, setting my napkin down. "I should get going."

"Sure, bud," Derrick said, raising his glass in mock salute.

Priya, cheeks flushed and probably drunk, pointed her finger at me with exaggerated seriousness. "One day, I'll get a man too. And then you'll all be the jealous ones."

That earned another round of laughter.

Tasha, quiet through it all, only said, "Good night, Kai. Drive safe."

I nodded. "Night."

---

The air outside felt freer, the night clearer the moment I stepped away. I didn't waste time, driving faster than usual, until I was finally pulling into the familiar lot.

Home.

Inside, the first thing I saw was her. Curled on the couch, knees tucked in, breathing even, lost to sleep. Duchess was nowhere in sight, probably curled up in her usual spot, but Val… she was right there, a picture I wished I could keep forever.

On the table, a meal waited beneath a covered plate, untouched but still warm enough to speak of effort and care.

I set my briefcase down quietly, crouching beside the couch. Leaning in, I pressed a soft kiss to her forehead. She stirred, a little groan escaping, the kind that made her sound... more fragile. But she didn't wake.

Smiling, I slid my arms beneath her and lifted. She melted against me instinctively, head tucking beneath my chin. I carried her to bed, laying her down gently before returning for her phone on the coffee table.

It lit up with my face. My face.

I paused, staring at the lock screen, realizing she'd fallen asleep scrolling through pictures and videos of me. Some I didn't even know she'd taken. My chest tightened, something raw sparking alive.

I showered quickly, ate the meal she'd left for me in the quiet of our kitchen, then returned to her side. She didn't stir when I slipped beneath the covers.

Me? I didn't sleep, not right away. Instead, I watched her—the way her lips parted slightly, the strands of hair that had escaped across her cheek, the gentle rise and fall of her breathing.

And with every second, every look, one thought pressed deeper into me, until it was the only thing that mattered.

I was in love with this girl. Utterly. Helplessly. Completely.

---

To be continued...

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