Page 57 of More than Fiction (Misty Springs #1)
Sophia
My hands were chapped with how much I had been wringing them. Ever since Ned walked in on Corbin and me. I was on high alert—overanalyzing every move Ned made as I fell into a sea of dizzy spells.
Did he pause at my door?
Did he just glance at me for too long?
What did he see?
I spent the rest of the week avoiding Corbin like it was a job requirement. But despite all my efforts to keep my distance, there was one moment I couldn’t avoid.
Passing each other in the hallway—Corbin walking one way—me the other. I looked up at the same time he did.
Just a glance. An unspoken exchange.
But it was everything.
Heat. Regret. Longing. Conflict.
All of it tangled between us in the space of a second. Like neither of us had fully come down from what happened.
Like maybe, we never would.
I blinked first, dropped my gaze, and kept walking, pushing every emotion down.
My insides warred with the desire to find the new boundaries set within the confines of this office and the fear of crossing them—and risking it all.
If anyone found out—if this imploded like I knew it could—we’d both lose everything.
So whatever that was, I had to bury it.
We had to bury it .
Friday rolled around, and my mood was slightly lifted after spending last night raiding Devyn’s closet. I was running low on outfits, but I felt a shopping trip would be on the horizon soon.
My heels clicked on the polished floors of the office as I eyed Andi, who held a Styrofoam takeout container with Ned’s name sprawled across it. I watched as she tossed it in the trash without a second thought.
I grinned.
I was not getting in the middle of the Andi-Ned workplace drama.
“Cute outfit!” Andi beamed at me, pulling her attention briefly away from her scheming.
“You think so?” I asked as I did a little twirl. “You sure it’s not too short?”
I had a few inches on Devyn, so the green plaid skirt was a tad on the short side, hitting somewhere between my knee and thigh.
“Absolutely not! I mean, maybe don’t bend over in front of Ned, but it’s perfectly fine by me.” She dumped coffee grounds in the trash can, making sure to empty every last granule over the discarded takeout.
I shook my head and walked toward my office, ready to bury myself in beautiful, raw stories unseen by the world.
This job felt like a privilege—like I had access to a private screening of premier stories, just for my eyes.
I nearly had to pinch myself that this was my life now.
At lunch, I clumsily spilled sauce on my white button-down. Without hesitation, I walked into Andi’s open office.
Her desk was like a well-stocked pharmacy. She always had ibuprofen or Kleenex, so I knew she’d have something to remove this stain.
“Andi, I got sauce on my shirt. Can I use your…” My voice trailed off as I noticed she wasn’t alone.
Corbin was sitting in one of her spare chairs, his ankle resting casually on his knee, leaning back like he had just finished posing for a cologne ad.
And I was palming my sauce-covered button-down over my boob.
He ever so briefly cast a glance down at my hand .
I quickly removed it and pressed my hand nervously against my skirt.
His eyes dropped to my legs before he cleared his throat and excused himself.
I stepped back into the hallway to give him room to exit, holding my breath the whole time.
“I am so sorry for interrupting,” I whispered to Andi as I rushed into her office.
“Don’t worry, he was just pouting about some dinner he has to attend tonight.”
“Oh.” I did my best to feign indifference.
“ Obligations , when you’re a big important guy. Sometimes you must wine and dine people you can’t stand.”
“Well, this is what I get for eating without you,” I joked, pointing to my shirt.
She handed me a Tide pen while we chatted about the latest manuscript I reviewed.
“Thank you.” She grinned as she looked at me with a strange expression.
“Thank me for what? You’re the one who saved my shirt.”
“I did nothing. You can thank Procter and Gamble for making Tide pens. Thank you ,” she repeated. “I’m thrilled to have validation that I’m always just so right.”
I laughed. “Oh yeah? What were you so right about?”
“You.” She pushed her cobalt-blue frames up on her nose. “You’re brilliant, Sophia. An absolute diamond in the rough. We’re lucky to have you. Well… we’re lucky to have me too, since I found you.”
Her words settled deep within me, wrapping around that insecure part of me that always told myself I wasn’t smart enough or good enough—the one that thought I’d never achieve the dreams I once held.
“Thank you,” I choked out. “That means a lot, Andi.”
She waved a hand. “Don’t mention it. And if you want to leave early today, go ahead. I’m getting ready to leave. Susan’s gone, and I think Ned just slithered out of here as well. It’s such a nice day out. Go enjoy the break from the cold.”
“Okay, I just might do that, thanks.” I turned and walked out of her office, still beaming from her words.
Not only did I love this job, but I was good at it, too.
As I walked past the closed door of Corbin’s office, my mind dangerously wandered. If Ned wasn’t here, Susan had left, and Andi was about to leave, did that mean Corbin and I would be here alone?
Despite my best efforts, Corbin remained stubbornly lodged in my brain.
He was the first thing I thought about when I woke up and the last thing on my mind before I fell asleep.
My days were filled with meaningful work and beautiful stories, and my evenings and weekends were spent laughing with my incredible friends.
But the moment I was alone, it was always Corbin—filling the quiet, stealing my thoughts.
Thoughts that swirled with lustful memories of the way our bodies fit together. Thoughts I desperately needed to push away, but couldn’t stop from infiltrating my mind.
I fell into my desk chair and took a deep breath, wishing I could pop in my earbuds and blare whatever the sound trigger was for libido-away right now.