As they approached her office building, Nicholas finally broke the silence. “Don’t push yourself too hard , okay,” he said, his voice low but firm.
Emily nodded “I’ll be fine,” she replied, her words clipped as she reached for the door.
“I’ll see you later,” she added, stepping out of the car.
Emily waved as Nicholas drove off, his car disappearing into the stream of traffic. She stood on the sidewalk for a moment, watching the taillights fade. A strange unease crept over her, tightening her chest.
Everything had seemed fine when she woke up, but his demeanor had shifted—subtle, yet impossible to ignore. He had been calm, almost too calm, and the thought nagged at her. Did something happen while he was in the kitchen? Was he upset about something he wasn’t sharing?
Her concern and curiosity swirled together, growing heavier with every passing second. She shook her head, trying to brush off the feeling, but it lingered stubbornly.