Close Enough to Fall

Chapter 4: Close Enough to Fall

Emma had always prided herself on professionalism, but lately, her heart refused to follow protocol. She sat across from Alex in the back of a black town car, their knees almost touching as the city lights streaked past the tinted windows. He’d invited her—no, instructed her—to accompany him to a corporate charity gala. She told herself it was part of the job. But the way his eyes lingered on her when she stepped into the car said otherwise.

She wore a sleek black dress that skimmed just above her knees, modest but elegant. Alex hadn’t said a word about it, but the way he’d gone silent when he first saw her was louder than any compliment.

“You look… nice,” he’d finally said, and though the words were simple, his voice had a raw edge that made her stomach flutter.

Now, in the car, the silence between them wasn’t uncomfortable—it was thick with everything they weren’t saying. Emma stared out the window, trying to focus on the night ahead. But then, Alex spoke.

“I don’t do well at these things,” he said quietly.

She turned to look at him. “You’re a CEO. You attend events like this all the time.”

He gave a half-smile, barely there. “Yes, but I don’t enjoy pretending. Playing nice. Smiling at people who want something from me.”

Emma tilted her head slightly. “Then why go?”

He turned to her, and for a moment, she saw it again—that flicker of vulnerability beneath his sharp exterior. “Because it’s expected. And I’ve built a life around doing what’s expected of me.”

Emma didn’t know what to say to that. Instead, she offered him the only thing she could—her presence. “Well… I’m here,” she said softly. “So you don’t have to pretend the whole night.”

He looked at her for a long second, and then nodded. “Thank you.”

They arrived minutes later, and as they stepped into the grand ballroom, Emma felt the shift in Alex instantly. The warmth she’d seen in the car slipped behind a polished mask. He shook hands, made introductions, and moved through the crowd with the kind of effortless charm only the powerful could wield.

But even through the noise and chatter, Emma felt his hand lightly graze hers now and then, grounding them both.

Halfway through the evening, during a lull in the speeches, he leaned down beside her, his lips near her ear.

“I want to leave.”

Emma’s heart skipped. “We just got here.”

“I’ve done what I came to do,” he said, his voice low, meant only for her. “Now I want to be where I can breathe again.”

Before she could respond, he gently took her hand—hidden from the crowd—and led her out a side exit.

They ended up on the rooftop terrace, the city stretched out in glittering silence before them. It was colder up there, and Emma hugged her arms instinctively.

Alex shrugged off his jacket and placed it around her shoulders without a word.

For a moment, they just stood there, the night wrapped around them like a secret.

“I don’t let people in easily,” Alex said after a while, staring out at the skyline. “Everyone wants something. I’ve learned to keep myself… locked up.”

Emma turned to face him. “I don’t want anything from you, Alex.”

He looked at her then, really looked. “That’s what scares me.”

Her breath hitched.

“You see me,” he said, voice rough. “Not the company. Not the title. Just me. And I don’t know how to handle that.”

Emma stepped closer, her hands brushing against his. “Then let’s figure it out. Together.”

Alex hesitated for only a second before his arms wrapped around her, pulling her against his chest. She didn’t resist. She didn’t want to. Here, beneath the stars and far from the expectations of the world, they weren’t boss and assistant. They were just two people trying not to fall—and failing beautifully.

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