Chapter 59: No pressure

Emily knew something was different the moment Adrian asked her to meet him.

He hadn’t said where.

Just:

Adrian:

Can we talk?

She had stared at the message for a while before replying.

Emily:

About what?

Adrian:

Us.

That word had made her uncomfortable.

There was no "us."

Not anymore.

Still, she agreed.

They met at a quiet café that afternoon.

Adrian was already there when she arrived.

He stood when he saw her.

"Hey."

"Hi."

Emily sat across from him.

For a few seconds, neither said anything.

Adrian picked up his drink.

"How’s your mom?"

"She’s doing better."

"Good."

Emily nodded.

"Thanks again."

"You’ve thanked me enough."

"I still owe you."

"You’ll pay me back."

"I will."

Adrian looked at her.

"I know."

Emily waited.

"You said you wanted to talk."

"Yeah."

He leaned back.

"I’ve been thinking."

"That usually worries me."

Adrian laughed.

"Still the same."

"Probably."

He looked at her for a moment.

"I like having you around again."

Emily’s smile disappeared.

"Adrian..."

"I’m not asking you to leave Damian."

"I know."

"I’m not asking you to choose."

"Then what are you asking?"

Adrian was quiet for a second.

"A kiss."

Emily stared at him.

The café suddenly felt smaller.

"No."

The answer came quickly.

Adrian nodded.

"Okay."

Emily looked away.

He didn’t argue.

That somehow made it harder.

After a few seconds, he said, "I just wanted to be honest about what I wanted."

Emily folded her hands beneath the table.

"You can’t keep changing the arrangement."

"I haven’t changed anything."

"You have."

"How?"

"First it was dinner. Then events. Then hanging out."

"And?"

"And now this."

Adrian looked at her.

"I like you."

"You know I love Damian."

"I know."

"Then don’t put me in this position."

Adrian looked down at his drink.

"Fair."

Emily stood.

"I should go."

"Emily."

She stopped.

Adrian didn’t look at her.

"I won’t ask again."

Emily remained standing.

Part of her wanted to leave immediately.

Another part remembered the hospital.

The bills.

The money Adrian had transferred.

Her mother’s treatment.

She hated that those things were connected to this conversation.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked.

Adrian looked up.

"Because I still want you."

"I can’t give you that."

"I know."

"Then what do you want?"

Adrian paused.

"A little more than friendship."

Emily shook her head.

"That’s not going to happen."

She turned to leave.

"Emily."

She stopped again.

Adrian stood.

"I’ll never forget that you came to me when you needed help."

Emily’s face tightened.

She understood what he meant.

He didn’t need to say anything else.

She walked back to the table.

"That’s exactly why I came to you."

"I know."

"And you promised this was a transaction."

"It is."

"Then keep it that way."

Adrian looked at her.

"What if I asked for one thing?"

Emily said nothing.

"A kiss."

She stared at him.

He didn’t move closer.

He didn’t reach for her.

He simply waited.

Emily thought about her mother.

Then Damian.

Then the secret she was already carrying.

She hated the choice in front of her.

Finally, she leaned forward.

The kiss was brief.

Emily pulled away almost immediately.

Neither spoke.

She stepped back.

"That’s it."

Adrian nodded.

"Okay."

Emily grabbed her bag.

"I have to go."

"Sure."

She left.

Adrian remained at the table.

He touched his lips for a second, then looked toward the door.

For him, the moment meant something different.

It wasn’t the kiss itself.

It was the fact that she’d crossed a line she had spent weeks refusing to cross.

Emily walked three blocks before stopping.

She took out her phone.

Damian’s name sat near the top of her messages.

She opened their conversation.

Damian:

How’s your mom today?

Emily stared at it.

Her thumb hovered over the keyboard.

She typed:

I need to tell you something.

She stopped.

Deleted it.

Typed again.

Can we talk tonight?

Deleted that too.

She locked the phone.

"I’m sorry."

She didn’t know whether she was saying it to Damian or herself.

That evening, Damian was sitting across from Marcus in a small meeting room.

A financial report was open between them.

Marcus pointed at a line.

"Revenue is stable."

"That’s good."

"Cash flow is improving."

"Also good."

"The problem is still Meridian."

Damian nodded.

"And Northstar."

"Obviously."

Marcus looked at him.

"You still interested?"

"Yes."

"Even after everything?"

Damian looked at the documents.

"I’m interested in finding out whether it’s worth buying."

Marcus smiled.

"That’s a better answer."

Damian leaned back.

"How much time do we need?"

"Legal review?"

"Yeah."

"Probably another week."

Damian nodded.

"Then take another week."

Marcus raised an eyebrow.

"You’re not in a hurry?"

"No."

"That’s new."

Damian smiled.

"I’ve got money."

Marcus laughed.

"That’s one way to put it."

Damian looked at the report again.

His liquid balance was still more than five million dollars.

Westbridge was worth more than when he first invested.

His stake was worth money on paper.

And now he was considering buying another company.

A few months ago, the idea would have sounded ridiculous.

Now it was simply another option.

His phone buzzed.

Emily.

He picked it up.

Emily:

Hey love.

Damian:

Hey babe.

A pause.

Emily:

What are you doing?

Damian:

Working. You?

She stared at the screen.

Her fingers moved.

Emily:

Nothing much.

Damian smiled.

Damian:

You okay?

Emily stopped.

That question again.

She looked at the hospital bag beside her.

Then at her mother’s room.

Then back at her phone.

Emily:

Yeah. I’m okay.

Damian replied almost instantly.

Damian:

Good. Get some rest tonight.

Emily swallowed.

Emily:

I will.

Another message appeared.

Damian:

Love you.

Emily stared at it.

Her eyes watered.

She typed slowly.

Emily:

Love you too.

She put the phone down.

The next morning, Adrian sent another message.

Adrian:

Dinner Friday?

Emily read it twice.

She didn’t answer.

A second message appeared.

Adrian:

No pressure.

She locked her phone.

She had already given him something she never should have.

She wasn’t giving him anything else.

At least, that was what she told herself.

Across the city, Damian walked into Westbridge with his laptop under one arm and a coffee in the other.

Sarah looked at him.

"You look unusually happy."

"Do I?"

"Yeah."

Daniel glanced up from his desk.

"What’s happened?"

"Nothing."

Sarah smiled.

"That’s definitely not true."

Damian shrugged.

"Things are going well."

Daniel nodded.

"Acquisition?"

"Still under review."

"Westbridge?"

"Good."

"University?"

"Good."

Daniel leaned back.

"Then what’s making you smile?"

Damian looked at his phone.

A message from Emily was sitting on the screen.

Emily:

Morning babe ❤️

He smiled.

"Nothing."

Sarah laughed.

"Sure."

Damian slipped the phone into his pocket.

For him, the day had started normally.

For Emily, another secret had just begun.

And neither of them knew how much longer she could keep it that way.