Chapter 27: The Elevator Moment
Anna
I told myself I was overthinking it.
That I was just here to work, that the heat crawling up the back of my neck was due to stress or a bad cup of office coffee not the memory of Kelvin mouth on mine.
But that illusion shattered the moment the elevator doors slid open.
There he was.
Kelvin.
In a deep navy suit, shirt slightly undone at the collar, tie forgotten entirely. He looked sharp. Serious. The kind of man who knew how to command a room just by existing in it.
And he was standing alone.
For a second, we just stared.
Me on the outside. Him on the inside. The kind of pause that made the air feel thinner, like it didn't want to carry sound.
"You coming in?" he asked quietly.
His voice still did that thing to my stomach—low and smooth, with just enough gravel to remind me of things I shouldn't be remembering.
I stepped inside.
The doors closed behind me.
And just like that, we were trapped in a box of silence.
Twelve floors. Thirty seconds. Maybe less.
But every second pulsed like a heartbeat.
I could feel him behind me. Not touching me, not even close, but aware of him. His scent—clean, subtle spice and warm cedar—coiled around me like a memory I couldn't shake.
"Didn't see you at lunch," he said after a moment, his voice even.
"I was with Kayla and Tara," I replied, keeping my eyes forward. "Trying to... you know. Be normal."
"That working for you?"
I turned to face him, slowly. His gaze met mine, unreadable.
"As well as it can, I guess," I said. "Avoiding you seems to be the only real challenge."
Something flickered in his eyes—amusement, maybe, or pain. Or both.
"You've been doing a damn good job of it."
I looked away.
"I didn't want to make things harder."
"They already are."
That pulled my eyes back to his. His expression was calm, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him.
"I thought we agreed—"
"No," he cut in, voice low. "You decided it was a mistake. I never got a say."
The elevator dinged. Floor ten.
The doors opened, but no one entered. He didn't move.
"I don't know what you want me to say, Kelvin."
He took a step closer. Not enough to touch, but enough to feel.
"I want you to admit it wasn't just a kiss," he said. "That it meant something. That you still feel something."
I swallowed hard. My fingers trembled against the strap of my bag.
"I can't," I whispered.
He nodded once, jaw tightening as he stepped back again.
The elevator dinged again. My floor.
I hesitated, unsure what to say—what to do.
But he was already turning away.
"Have a good day, Anna."
I stepped out without replying, my heart pounding in my ears.
The doors closed behind me.
And for the first time since I got the job, I wasn't sure if staying here was brave or just reckless.