We were somewhere between blissful beginnings and inevitable endings. That limbo of a relationship where everything feels serious yet suspended, like walking on ice that's deceptively thin.

I was polite but clear. "I appreciate it, but I’m not interested. Just moved, settling in, not looking to complicate things." I figured that would be enough. It wasn’t.

She floated through the office like she belonged, instantly adored by everyone. Including me.