The next morning arrived with sunlight streaming through Emma's bedroom window. She woke earlier than usual, before her alarm could sound. Her sleep the previous night had been restless. Her mind kept returning to what happened in the office kitchen last night, to the kiss they never planned.
Emma climbed out of bed and stretched slowly. Her eyes still felt heavy, but her mind was already filled with anxiety about how she would face Marcus this morning. How she would pretend that nothing had happened, that their lips had never touched each other beneath the cold fluorescent lights of the office kitchen.
She went to the bathroom and stood for a long time under the warm shower water. It flowed over her face, attempting to wash away the unease clinging to her skin. But no amount of hot water could cleanse the confusion that continued to creep through her thoughts.
