(Cole)
I read her message twice before I set the phone down. The wording was careful, controlled in a way that told me she’d taken the time to decide how much she was willing to give and how much she wasn’t. She didn’t say yes, but she didn’t close the door either. That was enough to work with.
Give me a couple of days. I’ll give you my answer. I can’t show up right now.
I leaned back in my office chair and let that sit where it belonged instead of reacting to it. Most people filled silence with pressure because they didn’t know what else to do. Lena removed herself from the immediate decision because she needed control back. That wasn’t hesitation, it was structure.
She was still coming, just not on my time. That didn’t bother me the way it might’ve bothered another man. It told me ex
