Cedric leaned against the hood of the SUV, the midday sun glaring down on him as he waited outside the gym for Billie. His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he sighed, pulling it out. The name on the screen made his jaw clench.

"Hello?" he said curtly, already bracing himself for bad news.

"Cedric, we need to talk," his boss said on the other end. The tone was professional but firm, the kind that signaled an order was coming.

"About what?"

"You're being re-stationed," his boss said matter-of-factly.

Cedric froze. His grip on the phone tightened as a pang of dread settled in his chest. "Re-stationed? To who?"

"Some princess in Dubai," his boss replied, as though it were a mere formality.

"No," Cedric said flatly, his voice leaving no room for negotiation.

There was a pause. "What do you mean, no?"

"I mean exactly what I said," Cedric snapped. "Find someone else. End of discussion."

"Cedric, this isn't up for debate—"

"It is now." Without waiting for a response, Cedric ended the call, stuffing the phone back into his pocket.

He stared at the ground, his mind racing. The thought of leaving Billie—leaving this—wasn't something he could stomach. In just a few months, she had become more than just a client. More than just a paycheck. The connection they'd built was uncharted territory for him, but it was real. And there was no way in hell he was walking away from it.

The gym doors swung open, and Billie walked out, her oversized water bottle in hand and her hair down, framing her flushed face. She looked radiant, even in her workout clothes. Cedric straightened, forcing himself to push the earlier conversation out of his mind.

"Hey," she said, her voice light and casual as she approached him. "I'm starving. Let's go eat something right now."

"Okay, let's go get you fed, love," he said, his tone softer than usual. Without thinking, he pulled her into a hug.

Billie stiffened for a moment, caught off guard, before she melted into the embrace. Her arms wrapped loosely around his torso, and her cheek pressed against his chest.

"Uh... what's this for?" she asked, her voice muffled.

"Nothing," Cedric replied, holding her a moment longer than necessary. "Just felt like it."

She pulled back slightly, looking up at him with a curious expression. "You okay?"

"Yeah," he said, forcing a small smile. "Just in a good mood."

Her brow furrowed, but she didn't press further. Instead, she grabbed his hand and started pulling him toward the car. "Alright, well, let's celebrate this rare good mood of yours with food. I need something hearty."

At the restaurant, Billie sat across from Cedric, her water bottle pushed to the side as she scanned the menu.

"Everything on this menu is speaking to me right now," she said dramatically, resting her chin in her hand.

Cedric chuckled, his eyes softening as he watched her. "Pick something before you end up ordering the whole menu."

She stuck her tongue out at him before settling on a rice bowl and some water. As the waiter walked away with their order, Billie leaned back in her seat, her eyes narrowing as she studied Cedric.

"So... what's up with you?" she asked, tapping her fingers on the table.

"What do you mean?"

"You're being... nice," she said, squinting at him suspiciously. "You hugged me earlier. You're smiling. Did you hit your head or something?"

Cedric smirked, shaking his head. "Can't a guy just be in a good mood without getting interrogated?"

"Not you," she shot back, leaning forward. "You're the king of brooding. Something's definitely up."

He hesitated, debating whether to tell her about the call from his boss. He didn't want to ruin the moment, but he also hated keeping things from her.

"I got a call earlier," he admitted, his voice low.

"From who?"

"My boss."

Billie frowned. "Okay... and?"

"He wants to re-station me," Cedric said, his jaw tightening.

Her eyes widened. "Re-station? Like... leave me?"

"Yeah," he said, looking down at the table. "They want me to work for someone else."

Billie stared at him, her mind racing. The idea of Cedric leaving—of him not being around anymore—was like a punch to the gut.

"And you're just... okay with that?" she asked, her voice wavering slightly.

"No," he said firmly, meeting her gaze. "I told them I wasn't going anywhere."

Her breath hitched, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

"Why?" she finally asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Because I don't want to leave," he said simply.

Her heart skipped a beat. There was something in his tone—something raw and unspoken—that made her chest tighten.

Before she could respond, the waiter returned with their food, breaking the moment. Cedric leaned back in his seat, picking up his burger as though nothing had happened. Billie, however, could barely touch her food.

The rest of the meal passed in a blur of small talk and forced laughter, but the weight of their earlier conversation lingered in the air.

Back at Billie's house, Cedric followed her inside, his mind still racing. He hadn't planned on telling her about the call, but now that he had, he felt strangely relieved.

"Thanks for dinner," Billie said, kicking off her shoes and flopping onto the couch.

"Anytime," Cedric replied, leaning against the doorway.

She looked up at him, her eyes searching his face. "You're really not going to leave, are you?"

"No," he said, his voice steady. "I'm not."

A small smile tugged at her lips, and she nodded. "Good."