Chapter 30 The magic ended the moment Sam strode into my office. I'd been expecting and dreading the conversation. Enough time had passed since the disastrous dinner, I wasn't angry anymore; I was just confused. How had we gotten here? How had the distance between us grown so wide without me noticing? Sam closed the door behind him with a click that sounded more like a gavel banging and stood there, his hands in his pockets, like this was going to be casual. I knew better. "I figured we should talk," he said. I rose from my chair. "You're right. We need to." Circling my desk, I perched on the edge, waiting for him to continue. Silence continued to stretch between us. It wasn't hostile. Just...full. Of questions. Of our history together. Things we'd left unsaid for too long. The uneasiness of not knowing where to go from here. Finally, Sam broke it. "Look, Tore, I was wrong. Okay? I shouldn't have sprung the Gravis meeting on you the way I did." I blinked several times. "You're admitting you were wrong? Should I record this?" He smiled faintly. "Go ahead. Frame it even." I wasn't ready to smile back. We weren't there yet, even if part of me wished we could wipe the slate clean and go back to how things used to be. Then again, how long had it been since things had been easy between us? I couldn't remember a time when Sam hadn't been pushing me. I used to think it was what I needed, and maybe at one time, it had been. I wasn't a naive college kid anymore, though. "I think where we are is as much my fault as yours." I twisted my ring, my gut churning. I did not like having this talk, but it was a long time coming. "At the beginning of Nox, I asked you to help me make decisions on our growth and direction. Even before that, I looked to you for advice on how to dress and talk to people. Well...you know, you were there." The corner of his mouth hitched. "I remember the days of nerdy Sal all too well. Thank god you let me mold you." That did not sit right with me, but it wasn't necessarily inaccurate either. These days, I didn't give a shit what others thought about me. The reputation I'd built insulated me from outsiders' opinions. But a decade ago...I'd been stuck, unable to figure out how to fit in and desperately wanting to. "I don't need that anymore, Sam. You know that, right?" I raised my brows. "You have to see I'm doing well on my own. Personally and professionally." He nodded once and sighed. "I have to tell you, I was taken aback that you were late to dinner and that you showed up with Bea. You didn't mention you were seeing her." I kept my expression neutral. I hadn't missed his swift change of subject, guiding me away from the topic we should have been discussing, but I couldn't hold back from answering him. "I didn't realize I had to clear my dating life with you." "You don't," Sam rushed out, holding up a hand in mock surrender. "Of course you don't. I was just surprised. I knew you liked her when you met her before...before. But that was a long time ago, and I'd assumed it had just been a fling." He'd said it lightly, but there was an edge just beneath the surface. "No. Nothing about Bea is casual to me." He chuffed. "I guess not. You're not a casual kind of guy. But do you really think she...fits?" "Fits?" Sam shrugged, pushing his hands back in his pockets. "I don't know. I'm not sure what I mean. She's just...not the type of woman I picture thriving in the role of a CEO's partner. I could be wrong, though. I often am." "You are. I'm not sure if you remember, but Bea was the one who saved all of us from having to eat awkward pasta Saturday night. I think she'll do very well by my side." He dropped his chin to his chest. "It sounds like you're already serious about her." I opened my hands, palms up. "Like you said, I don't do casual." "How does that work-dating and having kids, I mean?" "I'll make it work. That's not anything you have to worry about." He nodded. "No one's more levelheaded than you. Which was why I was surprised you were late Saturday night. Was that her influence?" "It was my own fault. I forgot the dinner and had made plans with her. I am sorry for that." He winced. "You forgot? Has that ever happened?" "I've had a lot on my mind. And before you ask, yes, Bea is undoubtedly taking up the most room right now." "I'm happy for you. Glad you're excited about her. Just...be careful." "Careful?" He hesitated. "Yes. You never know someone's intentions, and you've worked your entire life to be taken seriously. All I'm saying is not to let anything distract you from that now." There it was. Gentle. Subtle. Like he was looking out for me. I knew Sam well enough to recognize when I was being steered. I didn't give him anything. "Bea's not a distraction." Sam offered a flat smile. "Of course. You'd know far better than I would." "That's right." I straightened and walked back behind my desk. "And I don't want another Gravis situation. It happens again, we'll have a serious problem." Sam's expression didn't change much, but there was a flicker of something. Annoyance? Guilt? He blinked away too fast for me to pin it down. "Look, I know I jumped the gun. I shouldn't have approached them without your sign-off." "That will never happen. Gravis is a hard no." He threw his arms out. "Got it. Loud and clear. Gravis is off the table. I hope you know all I was doing was trying to help. That's always been the goal. At some point, you're going to have to trust people if we're going to take Nox to the next level." I stared at him. "There's a difference between helping and making moves behind my back. If Nox levels up, it will be thought out and deliberate, not over lasagna on a Saturday night." "I know that. I know." He shot me a sheepish grin. "I have a big mouth and even bigger ideas. They run away from me sometimes. You remember in college when I told that recruiter I already had an offer to intern with a 'rising cybersecurity firm'? Total bullshit. We hadn't even finished building our firewall prototype." The memory came rushing back. "You convinced me to go to a meeting with that guy who thought we had funding." Sam laughed, unrepentant. "And ended up getting an offer out of it, didn't we?" "He offered. I turned it down. We didn't have a company yet, Sam." I couldn't help but laugh too. Those had been the days. Before things got complicated. Before contracts and deadlines and capital injections. When we'd been two friends with big ideas and parallel goals. "Details." He waved it off. "Everything worked out beautifully, didn't it?" I let out a breath, the tension in my shoulders easing slightly. "Eventually," I conceded. "We always figure it out." Smoothing a hand down his shirt, he took a retreating step. "We've made it through worse." We had. And I had to believe this was just another stretch of rough road on our journey. "We'll figure it out," I echoed. Sam started to turn toward the door, but paused, catching my eye. "Glad we talked." "I am too." After he'd closed the door behind him, I realized it was the first time in weeks he'd left my office on a good note. I leaned my head back on my chair and closed my eyes, exhaling a long, heavy breath. Our foundation was cracked but not crumbling. We'd get past this. I'd stopped doing this. It was a bad habit and crossing a line, even for me. But after my conversation with Sam and a torrent of meetings, I had to see her. A flash of blue caught my eye as my driver rolled through traffic. "Pull over," I ordered. "Please." Igor eased into a loading zone in front of the coffee shop Bea was inside. She was heading toward the door, and I held my breath, watching her through my open window. Balancing two cups in one hand, she laughed at something the barista had said behind her. Sunlight caught on her hair through the window, lighting it up like the hottest part of a flame. A man carrying a tray of coffee swerved around her to get to the door, and at the same time, another guy approached from the outside. Neither seemed to notice the other, but they definitely noticed Bea. The one outside got there first and reached for the handle with an excited smile aimed at Bea. The one inside moved just as swiftly, shoving the door open from the other side. The two overeager men collided, coffee exploding everywhere. Two cups flew through the air and hit the ground with a sad splat. The third stayed upright, miraculously saved by the guy inside, who stood frozen in shock. Bea hopped back to avoid the puddles. "Wow. Are you guys okay? You came out of nowhere."Neither man looked particularly upset. One was grinning while the other nodded furiously, coffee dripping down his neck onto his white shirt. Bea passed him a napkin as she carefully stepped around them, telling them to watch where they were going next time. Then she gave them an adorable little finger wave as the inside guy slipped in a puddle, knocking the other man onto his ass. I smiled. This was Bea. She wasn't trying to cause chaos; it just followed her like a lost puppy. I'd witnessed scenes like this too many times to count. Turning on her heel, she took one step, stopped, then twisted back around to look directly at my car, not even a flicker of surprise on her face. I leaned back and slapped the window button, but I wasn't fast enough. She strode right up to my door and bent down, her eyes locked on mine. "Well, hello." She pursed her lips. "Fancy seeing you here, Salvatore." "Uh...hi." I didn't have to see myself to know my ears were glowing bright red. Her forehead crinkled. "Are you going to give me a ride?" "Yeah. Yes. Of course. Get in." I opened the door, and she slid in beside me, placing her coffees in the cup holders. Her knee brushed mine. "Should I even ask what you're doing here?" Unable to help myself, I slid my hand over her smooth, bare knee. "I was out for a drive and there you were." Her lips twitched. "Were you? It's funny. I swear I've seen this car before. Quite a few times, actually." I hooked my fingers under her knee. "Coincidences happen. Besides, a lot of cars look like this." A velvety laugh rolled out of her. "Sure. Just a coincidence. Totally random. You, in a chauffeured car, pausing in traffic every time I happen to walk by." I glanced up from her leg. That was an exaggeration, but... "You've been keeping track?" She gasped into her hand. "Are you accusing me of stalking you?" "No," I murmured, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. "Just...noticing your noticing." She pressed her leg into mine. "You're cute, and coincidence or not, I don't care. I'm happy to see you." "Yeah?" I tilted my head toward her. "I am too. It's been a very long day." Reaching over, she bunched my shirt in her fist. "Kiss me first, then tell me about it." I didn't have to be asked twice. My lips landed on hers, soft and slow, testing. She tasted like vanilla and coffee, her tongue warm, lips plush and wet-exactly what I'd been needing. She let out a low, satisfied moan and tugged at my shirt. I smiled against her mouth. "I can't get much closer." She huffed. "You're too tall. Come down here." I took my glasses off, set them on the bench beside me, and gathered her into my arms. My hand slid into her hair, fingers tangling in the silky blue strands as I angled my mouth over hers, deepening the kiss. The world narrowed to the smooth slide of her mouth, the way she melted into me, the quiet thud of her heart syncing with mine. "This is what I needed," I murmured, nipping at her bottom lip. She pulled back, her eyes flicking to mine. "Did your talk with Sam not go well?" Sighing, I dropped my forehead to hers. "It went fine. We hashed it out. But something is off, and I'm not able to fix it. I'm frustrated." She wrapped her arms around me and stroked my neck and the top of my shoulders. "It can't be easy to mix business with friendship." "It was good in the beginning. For years, it worked. But now? I'm not sure we can keep going the way we are." I shook my head. "Enough. I'm tired of thinking about Sam and Nox. I'd rather think about you." That made her smile. "You'd rather think about me?" she teased, her voice dancing lightly. "Have I told you I like the way you say what you're thinking? I never have to guess." "In that case, I'd like to tell you what has been on my mind since Saturday." She pecked my lips and cheek. "Please do." "I like you. I want you. I think about you all the time. And I don't want you seeing anyone else." I paused. "Only me." "Okay," she replied. "I want the same." I blinked several times, letting her agreement sink in. "That was easy." She laughed. "Did you think I'd argue?" Then she gave my chest a light shove. "I wouldn't tolerate anyone but my boyfriend stalking me." "Didn't you admit you were doing the stalking?" Boyfriend. Yes. Yes, I like that. Her head fell back as more laughter burst from her, bright and unfiltered. I couldn't help but smile, enamored at the way the late light played over her features. Her cheeks were pink, her eyes alive, her mouth curled into that smirk that knocked the wind out of me. I slid my hand up her back, fingers tracing the outline of her curves. "I haven't felt this good in a long time." She tilted her head, curious. "Oh yeah?" "I stop spinning when I'm with you. You become my focus. I can just...be." Her smile softened. She leaned into me, stroking the side of my neck. "See?" she whispered. "This is what I mean. You say what's on your mind, and it pulls me in even deeper." "My evil plan." Her head fell on my shoulder. "So evil." I held her tighter, letting the weight of the day dissolve as we drove through the city. The tension in my shoulders eased with each block we passed. The ache behind my eyes dimmed. The knot in my gut-the one that had been growing all day after talking to Sam-finally unfurled. This was what peace felt like. Not silence or stillness or escape. Her. My beautiful blue. Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!