Lucas didn't like how quiet his office felt.
Not the normal quiet.
This one felt… expectant.
Like something was waiting for him to decide.
His phone rested on the table.
Screen dark.
But his eyes kept drifting back to it.
"Can I talk to him?"
Lina's voice replayed again.
Lucas leaned back slowly, exhaling.
This wasn't supposed to happen.
Their relationship—
It was supposed to stay contained.
Hidden.
Safe.
Between him and Michael.
And now—
It wasn't just that anymore.
He ran a hand through his hair.
"…I should tell him," he muttered.
But even that didn't feel simple.
Because how do you tell someone—
"I told another person about us."
Without it sounding like betrayal?
Buzz.
His eyes snapped down.
Michael.
For a moment—
Lucas hesitated.
Then he picked it up.
"Hey."
"Hi."
Same tone.
Calm.
Distant.
Lucas swallowed slightly.
"There's something I need to tell you."
A small pause on the other end.
"…Okay."
That word again.
Lucas leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.
"Do you remember the day someone answered my phone?"
Silence.
Then—
"Yes."
Lucas nodded slowly.
"That was my assistant."
Another pause.
Michael didn't interrupt.
Lucas continued—
"She figured out… that something was different."
Now—
The silence changed.
He could feel it.
"…What do you mean?" Michael asked.
Lucas hesitated.
Because this was the part—
Where everything could shift.
"I told her," he said finally.
The words didn't sound loud.
But they landed like they were.
Silence.
Longer this time.
Lucas held his breath slightly.
Then—
Michael spoke.
"You told someone?"
Not angry.
But not soft either.
Just… still.
Lucas nodded, even though he couldn't be seen.
"Yeah."
Another pause.
Michael's voice came again—
slower this time.
"…Lucas."
That one word carried more than anything else.
Lucas felt it.
"I didn't plan to," he said quickly. "She kept asking… and I was already distracted, and I just—"
"You just told her."
Michael finished it for him.
Lucas closed his eyes briefly.
"…Yeah."
Silence.
Then—
Michael exhaled softly.
"It wasn't just your secret to tell."
There it was.
The line that cut clean.
Lucas didn't argue.
Because he knew—
Michael wasn't wrong.
"I know," he said quietly.
Another pause.
But this one—
It felt different.
Not anger.
Something heavier.
"…How did she react?" Michael asked.
Lucas blinked slightly.
That wasn't what he expected.
"She didn't judge," he said. "At all."
Michael didn't respond.
Lucas continued—
"She was… actually supportive."
"…Supportive?" Michael repeated.
"Yeah," Lucas said. "She told me I should stop making you feel like you're losing me."
That landed.
Because it was true.
Michael didn't speak immediately.
And for a second—
Lucas wondered what he was thinking.
Then—
"…She said that?" Michael asked.
"Yeah."
Silence again.
But not tense.
Just… processing.
Then Lucas added—
"She asked something else too."
Michael's voice came quieter this time.
"…What?"
Lucas hesitated.
Because now—
This was the real part.
"She wants to talk to you."
Silence.
Deep.
Unmoving.
Lucas waited.
And waited.
Because he knew—
This wasn't small.
This wasn't casual.
This was letting someone else step into something that had always been protected.
Private.
The only thing they had that was truly theirs.
"…Why?" Michael finally asked.
Lucas exhaled.
"She said she wants to understand you."
Another pause.
Michael let out a quiet breath.
"…I don't know how I feel about that."
Honest.
Lucas nodded slightly.
"I figured."
Silence again.
Then—
"Do you trust her?" Michael asked.
That question came suddenly.
Lucas blinked.
"…I think I do."
Michael didn't respond immediately.
Because that answer—
Meant something.
Then—
Lucas asked the question he had been holding back.
"Would you be okay talking to her?"
Silence.
Long.
Heavy.
Michael leaned back slowly where he sat.
Phone against his ear.
Eyes unfocused.
Because this—
It wasn't just about Lina.
It was about:
Trust.
Exposure.
Letting someone else into something fragile
He thought about everything.
The distance.
The silence.
The way things have been feeling lately.
And then—
He spoke.
"I'll talk to her…"
Lucas stilled.
Relief came too quickly.
But before it could settle—
Michael added—
"…but I don't like this."
And just like that—
The relief faded.
Because that sentence—
Carried everything.
The trust.
The discomfort.
The warning.
Lucas nodded slowly.
"I understand."
Another pause.
Then Michael added quietly—
"This doesn't feel like just us anymore."
That line didn't raise its voice.
But it echoed.
Because it was true.
And both of them knew it.
The call didn't last much longer after that.
No argument.
No resolution.
Just—
A decision made…
Without peace.
Later that night—
Lucas sat alone in his office.
Phone in his hand.
Staring at the last message from Michael.
Short.
Simple.
"Let me know when."
"Also don't over stress yourself"
Lucas exhaled slowly.
Because now—
There was no going back.
The line had already been crossed.
And somewhere between trust and risk—
They had just invited someone else into their world.
And none of them fully understood…
What that would change.