HERMIONE
I was sitting at my desk, pretending to focus on the endless stack of papers in front of me, but every time I heard the faint sound of footsteps outside my office, my heart skipped a beat. I knew he was back. Dylan had been away for two weeks, and I'd tried to keep myself busy—working, talking to friends, trying to ignore the emptiness that crept in every time I thought about him. But now he was here.
The door swung open, and there he was. Dylan. Tall, commanding, and absolutely impossible to ignore. The moment he stepped into the doorway, I could feel the air shift, like the room itself recognized his presence. His gaze locked on me, a mix of amusement and something deeper that made my pulse quicken.
"Ready to go?" he asked, his voice low, smooth, with an edge of something more—a quiet promise.
I stood up from my desk, my body moving toward him before my mind could catch up. I'd missed him more than I wanted to admit, and the longing that had built up inside me over the past two weeks hit me all at once. But as I stepped closer, a thought flickered in my mind. Was this something I could keep to myself, this thing between us? Would I be able to hide it when everyone else already seemed to have noticed?
I shook off the thought and smiled. "I'm ready. But... you know, I think you owe me something for making me miss you this much."
He raised an eyebrow, that familiar half-smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, and my heart fluttered at the sight. "Oh? And what do you think I should do to make it up to you?" His hands moved to my waist, pulling me closer as if he couldn't stand the space between us. My hands instinctively rested on the back of his neck, fingers threading through the soft strands of his hair, grounding me to this moment, to him.
I smiled up at him, my voice teasing. "I don't know. I think you should find a way to repay me for making me go two whole weeks without you."
His lips brushed against my forehead in a soft, lingering kiss before he pulled back slightly, looking at me with that intense, unreadable gaze. "How about this—let's go for a walk first, and then we can talk about how I should repay you."
I nodded, feeling my stomach flutter. "That sounds good."
I picked up my bag, ready to go, but before I could turn toward the door, Dylan reached out and took it from my hand with that confident, almost possessive gesture of his. He grabbed his phone and quickly dialed someone.
"Merissa, I need you to take this to Adrian and have him drop it in the car for us. And make sure he's ready to meet us at the shopping mall in thirty minutes."
"Shopping mall?" I repeated, confused, but the way he said it—like it was just part of the plan—made me feel like I should stop questioning him. There was something almost assured in the way he moved, like everything was already decided in his mind, and I was just along for the ride.
Dylan flashed me a playful grin as he put the phone down. "I thought we could spend a little time together before you have to deal with all the usual business stuff. Besides, we need to have a conversation about how I can make up for the last two weeks."
I couldn't stop the grin that tugged at my lips. "I like the sound of that."
He led me out of my office, hand firmly clasped around mine. The moment we stepped into the hallway, I saw the surprised faces of a few of my colleagues. Whispers started circulating, their eyes darting between us, noticing the way we walked so naturally together. I could almost feel their curiosity pressing in, and suddenly, I was very aware of every footstep we took.
Rumors had been circulating about us, and now, there was no denying it. Dylan and I were not just colleagues or friends. We were something more. Something real.
"Looks like we just confirmed the rumors," I said with a chuckle, squeezing Dylan's hand as we walked toward the elevator.
He glanced down at me, that familiar smirk playing on his lips. "Guess so. But you don't mind, do you?"
"Not at all," I replied, my voice soft but sure. "I'm proud to be with you, Dylan."
He stopped in the middle of the hallway, turning me to face him. His expression softened, but there was still that steady intensity in his eyes. "And I'm proud to be with you, Hermione."
Before I could respond, he leaned in, capturing my lips in a soft, lingering kiss, the kind that spoke of everything we'd been through and everything we were about to face together. The quiet hum of the office faded away, and for a brief moment, it felt like it was just the two of us in the world. No rumors. No expectations. Just us.
When he finally pulled away, we stood there for a moment, just looking at each other. There was a strange mix of comfort and uncertainty in the air now—comfort in the fact that we'd crossed this line, but uncertainty about what would happen next. I wasn't sure if we were ready for what this would mean, for the world to know about us, but in that moment, standing there with Dylan, I felt something I hadn't in weeks: complete.
Together, hand in hand, we stepped into the elevator, ready to face whatever the next part of this journey would bring.