Chapter 13 Say It #3
Then disappeared.
Nothing else came.
?
The following morning, Veyra felt different.
Orm arrived early.
Ling arrived even earlier.
They passed each other in the hallway.
Both stopped.
Both looked at each other.
Neither spoke.
Finally, Ling nodded.
"Morning."
Orm nodded.
"Morning."
Then they walked in opposite directions.
It was almost comical.
After everything they had survived together, they had somehow returned to awkward greetings in a hallway.
Except this time, the pretending hurt.
Bow watched Orm sit down.
She didn't ask.
She didn't need to.
Fluke entered ten minutes later.
He looked at Ling's office.
Then at Orm.
His expression softened.
He walked over to Orm.
"Do you want coffee?"
Orm nodded.
"Please."
He smiled.
"Same order?"
"Yes."
He walked away.
Bow quietly said,
"Are you okay?"
Orm looked at her.
"No."
Bow nodded.
"Okay."
That was all.
No advice.
No interrogation.
Just understanding.
Orm appreciated it.
Across the office, behind the glass wall, Ling watched.
She saw Orm smile weakly at something Bow said.
She saw the exhaustion beneath her eyes.
She saw the distance between them.
And she hated herself for creating it.
Khun Dew entered Ling's office.
"You look like you haven't slept."
"I didn't."
Khun Dew sat opposite her.
"Is this about Orm?"
Ling didn't answer.
Khun Dew sighed.
"You know, sometimes being an executive means making difficult decisions."
Ling looked at her.
"And sometimes?"
"You have to stop acting like every emotion is a business problem."
Ling smiled faintly.
"That's easier said than done."
"Then try."
Ling looked through the glass.
Orm was working.
She looked beautiful.
Tired.
Sad.
But beautiful.
Khun Dew followed her gaze.
"She loves you."
Ling nodded.
"I know."
"And?"
Ling looked down.
"I love her."
Khun Dew smiled softly.
"Then tell her."
Ling swallowed.
"I couldn't."
"Why?"
"Because I'm afraid."
Khun Dew leaned back.
"Of what?"
Ling's answer came quietly.
"Losing her."
Khun Dew smiled.
"You're already losing her by refusing to choose her."
Ling looked at her.
The words landed hard.
Khun Dew stood.
"Think about it."
She left.
Ling sat alone.
For the first time, the answer seemed obvious.
She had spent so much time protecting herself from the possibility of losing Orm that she had failed to notice she was already pushing her away.
?
That afternoon, Ling walked toward Orm's desk.
The entire creative department noticed.
Fluke stopped typing.
Bow looked up.
P'Cherry glanced over her glasses.
Orm looked up when Ling stopped in front of her.
"Can we talk?"
Orm hesitated.
"About work?"
"No."
Orm closed her laptop.
"Okay."
Ling stood there.
She had planned what to say.
She had rehearsed it in her head.
But now that she was standing in front of Orm, every carefully prepared sentence disappeared.
Orm waited.
Ling took a breath.
"I don't know how to say this."
Orm's expression softened despite herself.
"Then say it badly."
Ling almost smiled.
She looked directly at her.
"I love you."
Silence.
Orm's eyes widened.
Ling continued before fear could stop her.
"I have loved you for longer than I wanted to admit."
Orm stared.
"I was scared."
Her voice trembled.
"I am still scared."
She swallowed.
"But I'm more scared of losing you because I was too afraid to tell you."
Orm's eyes filled with tears.
Ling reached for her hand.
This time, she didn't hesitate.
"I love you, Orm."
Orm's fingers closed around hers.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Orm whispered,
"You took long enough."
Ling laughed.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
Orm smiled through her own tears.
"I hate you."
"I know."
"I really hated you when we first met."
"I remember."
"You criticised my proposal."
"It needed work."
Orm gasped.
"Seriously?"
Ling laughed.
And suddenly, the tension broke.
Orm laughed too.
They stood there holding hands in the middle of Veyra's creative department, surrounded by people pretending very badly not to watch them.
Fluke turned away.
Bow covered her mouth.
P'Cherry smiled.
Someone quietly whispered,
"Finally."
Orm looked around.
Everyone immediately returned to their work.
She looked at Ling.
"Did they know?"
Ling sighed.
"Probably."
Orm laughed.
"That's embarrassing."
Ling squeezed her hand.
"I don't care."
Orm looked at her.
"Neither do I."
And for the first time, there was no campaign between them.
No pretending.
No script.
No excuse.
Just the truth.
Two women who had spent weeks pretending to love each other had finally stopped pretending.
But neither of them knew that the moment they said the words aloud, their biggest problem had only just begun.
Because the next Aurelia campaign shoot was scheduled for the following week.
And this time, they wouldn't be acting.
They would have to convince everyone else that they were.
And pretending to be in love was easy.
Pretending not to be was about to become impossible.