Hazel POV

Monday morning arrived, and I reluctantly prepared myself for another day at work. The events of the weekend still lingered in my mind, but I was determined to maintain a professional demeanor and pretend like nothing had happened between Aiden and me.

As I entered the office, I saw Aiden already at his desk, engrossed in his work. My heart skipped a beat at the sight of him, but I quickly reminded myself of the decision I had made—to bury my feelings and go back to how things were.

I approached Aiden's desk, trying my best to appear composed. "Morning, Aiden," I greeted him with a forced smile.

He looked up, his expression a mix of relief and concern. "Hey, Hazel. How are you?"

"I'm fine, just getting my things ready for today," I replied, my voice steady despite the turmoil within me.

"I knocked on your door today. I wanted to know if you wanted a ride today, " he said.

"I decided to take the train today. I appreciate the fact that you want to give me a ride every day, but I need that time to myself. But I do happen to need a ride, I'll be sure to ask, " I said, trying to keep up my facade.

Aiden sighed and said, "ok. If that's what you want. I nodded in response. Then he hesitated for a moment before speaking again. "Listen, about what happened the other night..."

I cut him off, not giving him a chance to delve into the topic. "It's okay, Aiden. Really, there's no need to dwell on it. Let's just put it behind us and focus on work."

His eyes searched mine, trying to gauge my true feelings. "Are you sure? I didn't mean to overstep. I value our friendship, and I don't want to jeopardize it."

I plastered a convincing smile on my face, masking the hurt I felt. "I appreciate your concern, Aiden, but there's no need to worry. We're professionals, and I'm more than capable of separating personal and professional matters."

Aiden nodded, his expression a mixture of understanding and regret. " I apologize if I made things awkward between us."

I shook my head, determined to convince him—and myself—that everything was fine. "No need to apologize, Aiden. Let's just move forward and focus on work."

He sighed softly, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "Alright."

I thanked him, silently hoping he would drop the subject. Deep down, I longed for him to fight for me, to express how he truly felt. But I couldn't bear the thought of letting him see how much he had hurt me.

Throughout the day, we worked side by side, exchanging professional conversations and maintaining a facade of normalcy. Yet, each time our eyes met or our hands accidentally brushed, a surge of emotion threatened to break through my carefully constructed walls.

As the day drew to a close, I packed up my belongings, ready to escape the confines of the office and the turmoil within me. Aiden approached me.

"Heading out?" he asked me.

"I am. I was just getting my things ready." I said.

"Do you need a ride?" He asked me.

"I think I'm ok, but thank you. I'm going to head out. Have a good evening, " I said as I turned and started to walk away.

"Oh Hazel, before you go, there is something I would like to ask you. Alice wanted me to ask you when you were going to be free. She's been feeling a little down and asked if the three of us go out, " he said. I stopped in my tracks and internally sighed.

I can't say no to Alice. She has no fault in this. I turned to face Aiden and said, "How about Saturday afternoon. I'm going to the hospital, and then we can meet up, " I said, dreading the fact that I have to face him outside of work as well.

"Yeah, that works for us. Alice wanted us to have a movie and pizza night at our parents' home,  if that's ok. As you can tell, my dad's been out of town, and Alice feels lonely there. Can pick you up if you'd like, " he said.

"It's ok. I can make it on my own. I'll be there on Saturday, anything for Alice." I replied.

"Thanks, Hazel." Aiden smiled at me.

"No problem. Um, I'll see you tomorrow." I said.

"Bye, Hazel," Aiden said.

"Bye." I faked a smile, then I turned around and walked out of the office.