Chapter 13: Chapter 13

I do what he says, feeling the click of the door behind me sealing us in. I walk over and sit down in one of the chairs opposite him, trying to appear calm, though my heart was pounding in my chest.

"Thank you for coming," Michael starts, setting his pen aside. "We didn't end our conversation earlier on a good note, and that's not how I want things to be between us."

I blink in surprise by the directness of his words. He doesn't often acknowledge things like this, always preferring to remain distant, emotionally removed. This is so…so different.

"I wasn't sure what you wanted," i reply cautiously. "You made it pretty clear earlier that whatever this is between us, it's supposed to be nothing more than an arrangement."

I see Michael's clench jaw slightly. "It is. But that doesn't mean we can't… coexist without hostility."