Chapter 3 The Knock at the Door

The night air was colder than usual.

By the time I got home, my head still buzzed with everything that happened at the office the accidental text, Mr. Cole’s unreadable reaction, the tension that lingered in the air long after I left.

I locked my door, tossed my bag onto the couch, and stood in the middle of my tiny apartment, still hearing his voice in my head.

“Next time, I might not be this patient.”

I didn’t know what he meant, but the warning in his tone made me uneasy.

I made some tea, changed into my oversized hoodie, and tied my hair into a messy bun. The warmth of the mug against my palms helped, a little.

“Tomorrow, I’ll apologize again,” I muttered to myself. “Keep my head down. Survive the week. He’ll forget about it eventually.”

The words were barely out of my mouth when....

Knock. Knock.

I froze.

It was past eleven. Who would come this late without my knowledge?

Another knock, firmer this time. My heartbeat jumped.

I tiptoed toward the door and peeked through the peephole.

My heart dropped, then immediately leapt.

Ethan.

I swung the door open. “Ethan? What are you doing here without any calls?”

He stood there in his black hoodie, hair slightly damp from the night air, holding two cups of takeaway coffee. “You weren’t answering your phone,” he said, half-smiling. “I got worried.”

I blinked, realizing I’d put my phone on silent earlier. “Oh my God… I didn’t hear it. I’m so sorry.”

He lifted one eyebrow. “You should be. I thought you’d been kidnapped by the spreadsheet”

Despite everything, I laughed. “You know, that’s not far from the truth.”

He handed me a cup. “Here. Caramel latte. Extra shot. Your stress medicine.”

I took it, warmth flooding through me not just from the coffee. “You didn’t have to come all the way here.”

“I wanted to.” His tone was soft but steady. “Especially after that message you sent.”

I almost choked on the first sip. “Ethan, don’t please don’t start.”

He grinned, teasing. “What? I thought it was cute. Just… unfortunate that your boss got it first.”

My cheeks burned. “I could die from embarrassment, you know.”

He stepped inside, closing the door gently behind him. “Relax. It was an honest mistake. Everyone sends the wrong message sometimes.”

“Yeah, but not that kind of message.”

Ethan chuckled and set his coffee down on the table. “I’m pretty sure Mr. Cole’s heart rate went up a few beats. Maybe you gave him the most excitement he’s had in years.”

“Ethan!” I groaned, swatting his arm.

He laughed that easy, full laugh that always managed to calm me down. Then he looked at me, really looked, and the humor softened into something else.

“You’ve been overthinking this all night, haven’t you?”

I nodded silently.

He sighed, brushing a loose strand of hair from my forehead. “Lila, you didn’t do anything wrong. You’re human. You mixed up a number. It doesn’t change anything between us.”

My throat tightened. “I just… I don’t want him to think I’m..”

He shook his head before I could finish. “Let him think whatever he wants. You know who you are. And so do I.”

Something about the way he said it made my chest ache the kind of ache that comes from being truly seen.

I smiled faintly. “You always know what to say.”

He grinned. “It’s a gift. Now come here before you spiral again.”

I hesitated only for a moment before stepping into his arms. His warmth wrapped around me, steady and familiar, melting away the day’s weight.

For the first time that night, I felt safe.

Ethan’s chin rested on top of my head. “Next time,” he murmured, “maybe double-check before sending something spicy, yeah?”

I laughed against his chest. “Deal.”

We stood like that for a long while — no words, no rush, just the quiet comfort of being with someone who didn’t need explanations.

Outside, the city hummed its usual rhythm. Inside, I finally exhaled.

Maybe tomorrow would be complicated. Maybe Mr. Cole would still have questions to ask in the dinner. Maybe I should tell Ethan that my boss wants me to go on a date with him

But for tonight, Ethan’s presence was enough.

And as I drifted to sleep later, I realized something simple but grounding — sometimes, peace doesn’t come from fixing everything.

It comes from knowing someone’s already in your corner when it all goes wrong.

I looked up from her phone, my pulse racing. I’d been staring at the screen for ten minutes, still seeing the message i sent, the wrong message. The one that wasn’t meant for him.

I swallowed hard, forcing a smile that didn’t last. “My boss said he wants to take me out for dinner tomorrow night. He said we should ‘talk about the message privately.’” I couldn’t even say it out loud. The one I sent with teasing words meant for his eyes alone.

For a second, he just stared at me, unblinking. Then, in a low voice, he said, “Lila, tell me you’re joking.”

“I wish I was,” I murmured

Ethan stood up, pacing. “Talk about it? That man knows exactly what he’s doing.”

His voice rose a little. “You’re not going.”

“Ethan, please—” I started.

“No, Lila.” He turned to me, his eyes dark with anger and fear. “This isn’t about your job anymore. It’s about respect. That man is using your mistake as an excuse to get close to you and take advantage of you”

“But if I refuse, he might make things hard for me at work,” I said, with voice breaking. “He’s my boss.”

“Then quit,” Ethan snapped. “Leave that place before it turns into something worse. I’ll help you find another job, anything. But you’re not going to dinner with him.”

I stared up at him, torn. His anger wasn’t cruel it was desperate. He was scared for me. But all I could think of was how easily everything I’d worked for could crumble over one stupid mistake.

“Ethan…” I whispered. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

He sighed and sat beside her again, taking her hands. “I know,” he said quietly. “But promise me you won’t go.”

My heart ached. I couldn’t promise that—not yet.

Ethan’s anger softened when he saw the tears gathering in my eyes.

He exhaled, voice quieter now. “Come here.”

I hesitated, then stepped into his arms. The moment he held me, all the tension that had built between us cracked and fell away. My face pressed against his chest, his heartbeat steadying my own.

“I hate that this happened to you,” he murmured into my hair. “But I’m here, okay? I’m not going anywhere.”

I looked up, eyes shimmering. “I didn’t mean for any of this to happen, Ethan.”

“I know,” he said, his thumb brushing the side of my face. Their eyes lingered for a heartbeat too long before he leaned in and kissed me, very slow, searching, filled with everything words couldn’t say.

The world outside us disappeared. Time, the mistake, the fear, it all faded until there was only the warmth between us. One touch led to another, a shared need for comfort that blurred into something deeper, something ys both surrendered to without speaking.

When the lights dimmed, and silence filled the room again, I lay beside him naked, myhand resting on his chest. For the first time that day, my heartbeat matched his.