Chapter 2: An Unwelcome Surprise

The next morning, I woke up to sunlight streaming through my bedroom window, illuminating the small, cluttered space I called my own. My head was still spinning from the events of the day before. Every time I closed my eyes, Leo’s face would surface, his voice playing on repeat in my mind. And then there was Ethan—steady, dependable Ethan, whose words had lingered with me far longer than I wanted to admit.

Shaking my head, I pulled myself out of bed and got ready for another day at the café. Routine was my safe space, the one thing that kept me grounded. If I could just get through the day without thinking too much, maybe everything would make sense again.

The café was already buzzing when I arrived, the early morning crowd filling the air with a lively hum of conversation. Ethan was behind the counter, his usual friendly smile in place as he chatted with a customer. He glanced up when I walked in, and for a moment, our eyes met. There was something unspoken there, a tension I wasn’t ready to confront.

“Morning,” I said, brushing past him to grab my apron.

“Morning,” he replied, his tone light, but his gaze lingered. “Sleep okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” I lied, tying my apron around my waist and avoiding his eyes. “Busy morning?”

He nodded, but I could feel him watching me, like he was waiting for me to say more. I didn’t. Instead, I busied myself with the coffee machine, letting the familiar rhythm of work take over.

But of course, life had other plans.

The chime of the door opening pulled my attention, and when I looked up, my heart stopped.

Leo.

He walked in like he owned the place, just as confident as he’d been yesterday. His tailored suit was gone, replaced by a casual button-down shirt and dark jeans, but he still had that air of effortless elegance about him.

I froze, my hands stilling on the espresso machine. What was he doing here?

He caught my eye and smiled, a slow, deliberate smile that made my stomach flip. “Morning,” he said, his voice smooth and rich, cutting through the noise of the café like it was meant just for me.

I tried to compose myself, but my voice came out shaky. “Morning. Can I get you something?”

He approached the counter, his gaze never leaving mine. “Another vanilla latte,” he said, leaning slightly against the counter. “It was good yesterday.”

I nodded quickly, turning to make his drink. My hands fumbled with the machine, and I could feel his eyes on me the entire time. It was unnerving and thrilling all at once.

When I finally handed him the cup, our fingers brushed again, and this time, the electricity between us was impossible to ignore.

“Thank you,” he said, his voice softer now, almost intimate.

I managed a weak smile, but before I could say anything, Ethan appeared beside me.

“Can I help you with something?” Ethan asked, his tone polite but firm.

Leo glanced at him, his smile unfaltering. “I’m all set, thanks.”

There was a moment of silence, a tension that crackled in the air between them. Ethan’s posture was stiff, his jaw tight, while Leo remained as calm and composed as ever. It was like they were sizing each other up, and I was caught in the middle.

“Enjoy your coffee,” I said quickly, trying to break the tension.

Leo’s gaze returned to me, his eyes softening. “I will. Thanks, Lila.”

He turned and walked out, leaving the café feeling strangely emptier without him.

Ethan didn’t say anything for a long moment, but I could feel his disapproval radiating off him.

“Do you know him?” he asked finally, his voice low.

“Not really,” I said, avoiding his gaze. “He’s just a customer.”

Ethan frowned, crossing his arms over his chest. “He doesn’t look like the kind of guy who just wanders into small-town cafés.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, bristling at his tone.

Ethan hesitated, then shook his head. “Nothing. Forget it.”

But I couldn’t forget it. The way he’d looked at me, the way his words lingered in the air—it felt like there was something more he wanted to say, but didn’t.

The rest of the day passed in a haze. Customers came and went, and Ethan and I worked side by side, but the easy rhythm we usually had was gone. Every interaction felt strained, like there was an invisible wall between us that neither of us wanted to acknowledge.

By the time my shift ended, I was exhausted—not just physically, but emotionally. I needed space, time to sort through the mess of thoughts and feelings swirling in my head.

But life, as always, had other plans.

I was halfway home when I heard a voice call out behind me.

“Lila.”

I turned, my heart leaping into my throat when I saw Leo standing there, leaning casually against a sleek black car parked by the curb.

“What are you doing here?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.

He smiled, completely unfazed by my tone. “I was in the neighborhood.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You were just ‘in the neighborhood’ of my walk home?”

He chuckled, the sound warm and rich. “Okay, you caught me. I might have been hoping to run into you.”

My cheeks flushed, and I hated how easily he could fluster me. “Why?”

His expression softened, and for a moment, there was something almost vulnerable in his eyes. “Because there’s something about you, Lila. Something I can’t quite figure out.”

I didn’t know what to say to that. My mind was screaming at me to walk away, to put some distance between us, but my feet refused to move.

“I should go,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Can I at least give you a ride home?” he asked, his tone gentle.

I hesitated, the sensible part of me screaming to say no. But there was another part—a quieter, more reckless part—that wanted to say yes.

“Okay,” I said finally, my voice barely audible.

His smile widened, and he opened the car door for me, waiting as I slid inside.

As we drove, the air between us was thick with unspoken words. I could feel his eyes on me occasionally, but he didn’t press me to talk. Instead, he let the silence stretch, giving me the space I didn’t realize I needed.

When we finally reached my apartment, he parked and turned to me, his expression unreadable.

“Thanks for the ride,” I said quickly, reaching for the door handle.

“Lila,” he said, his voice stopping me in my tracks.

I turned to face him, my heart pounding in my chest.

“I don’t know what it is about you,” he said softly, his eyes searching mine. “But I’d like to find out.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just nodded, slipping out of the car before he could say anything else.

As I climbed the steps to my apartment, I felt a strange mix of emotions—confusion, excitement, fear. Leo was a mystery, one I wasn’t

sure I wanted to solve. But as I closed the door behind me, I couldn’t help but wonder if it was already too late.

The next few days were a blur of routine, but my mind was anything but settled. Every morning at the café, I found myself glancing toward the door, half-hoping, half-dreading that Leo would walk in again. He didn’t. And yet, his presence lingered like a ghost, haunting my thoughts when I least expected it.

Ethan, on the other hand, had been quieter than usual. He still cracked jokes and flashed that boyish smile of his, but there was a distance between us that hadn’t been there before. I hated it. Ethan was my anchor, the one person who could pull me back to solid ground when life got too chaotic. And yet, I couldn’t bring myself to tell him what was really going on.

It was late on a Friday evening when everything started to unravel.

The café had just closed, and Ethan and I were cleaning up. The silence between us was deafening, broken only by the clinking of mugs and the hum of the dishwasher. I wanted to say something—anything—to bridge the gap between us, but the words wouldn’t come.

“Lila,” Ethan said suddenly, his voice breaking through the silence.

I looked up, startled by the intensity in his tone. “Yeah?”

He hesitated, his hands gripping the edge of the counter. “Is there something you’re not telling me?”

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” he said, his eyes locking onto mine, “you’ve been different lately. Distant. And then there’s... him.”

I froze, my heart pounding. “Him?”

“Leo,” Ethan said, his voice sharp. “The guy who waltzed in here like he owns the place and hasn’t left your thoughts since.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but no words came out. He was right, and we both knew it.

“Ethan, it’s not—” I started, but he cut me off.

“Don’t lie to me, Lila,” he said, his voice softer now, almost pleading. “I know you. I’ve always known you. And I know when something’s wrong.”

The weight of his words settled over me, heavy and suffocating. I wanted to tell him the truth, to lay everything out and let him in, but I couldn’t. Not when I didn’t even know how I felt.

“It’s complicated,” I said finally, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ethan’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, I thought he might push me further. But then he nodded, stepping back and running a hand through his hair. “Yeah. I figured.”

He turned away, and the sight of him walking out the door without another word left a hollow ache in my chest.

I didn’t sleep that night. I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, replaying the conversation over and over in my mind. I hated that I was hurting Ethan, that my confusion was driving a wedge between us. But more than that, I hated the way Leo’s face kept appearing in my thoughts, uninvited and unrelenting.

---

The next day, I decided I needed a distraction. Something—anything—to take my mind off the mess I’d made of my life. So I grabbed my sketchbook and headed to the park, hoping that a change of scenery might help.

The park was bustling with activity—kids laughing, couples strolling hand in hand, families enjoying picnics on the grass. I found a quiet bench near the edge of the lake and sat down, pulling out my sketchbook and pencil. Drawing had always been my escape, my way of shutting out the world and losing myself in something tangible.

I was just starting to lose myself in the lines and shapes on the page when a shadow fell over me.

“Mind if I join you?”

I looked up, my heart skipping a beat when I saw Leo standing there, his hands shoved casually into his pockets. He wasn’t smiling this time, but his expression was warm, his eyes soft as they met mine.

“Uh, sure,” I said, scooting over to make room for him on the bench.

He sat down, his presence commanding yet oddly comforting. “What are you drawing?”

I hesitated, glancing down at the half-finished sketch in my lap. “Just... whatever comes to mind.”

He leaned over slightly, his gaze curious. “You’re good.”

“Thanks,” I said, my cheeks flushing under his scrutiny.

For a while, neither of us spoke. The sounds of the park filled the silence between us, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it felt natural, like we’d known each other far longer than a few fleeting encounters.

“So,” he said finally, breaking the silence. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t let many people see this side of you?”

I frowned, caught off guard by his observation. “What side?”

“This side,” he said, gesturing toward the sketchbook. “The part of you that sees the world differently. That creates.”

I didn’t know how to respond to that. No one had ever looked at me like this before—like I was more than just a small-town girl working a dead-end job. It was disarming, and a little terrifying.

“Maybe because most people don’t ask,” I said finally, my voice quiet.

“Well,” he said, his lips curving into a small smile, “I’m not most people.”

The way he said it, so matter-of-fact, made my stomach flutter. But before I could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, his expression darkening as he read the screen.

“Everything okay?” I asked.

He looked up at me, his smile returning, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah. Just work.”

I nodded, though I didn’t entirely believe him. There was something in his expression, something guarded, that made me wonder what he wasn’t telling me.

“I should go,” he said, standing up and slipping his phone back into his pocket. “But I meant what I said, Lila. You’re... something else.”

Before I could respond, he turned and walked away, leaving me alone on the bench with a pounding heart and more questions than answers.

---

When I got home that evening, Ethan was waiting for me on the steps of my apartment building. His expression was unreadable, but there was a tension in his posture that made my stomach twist.

“We need to talk,” he said, standing up as I approached.

I nodded, bracing myself for whatever was coming. “Okay.”

He didn’t say anything right away, just looked at me with an intensity that made my heart ache. “I don’t know what’s going on with you, Lila. But I need to know where we stand.”

The weight of his words hit me like a ton of bricks. I knew this moment was coming, but I still wasn’t ready for it.

“Ethan, I—” I started, but he held up a hand, stopping me.

“Don’t,” he said, his voice breaking slightly. “Don’t say you don’t know. Don’t say it’s complicated. Just... tell me the truth.”

I opened my mouth to reply, but the words wouldn’t come. Because the truth was, I didn’t know. I didn’t know what I wanted, or how I felt, or why my heart was p

ulling me in two different directions. And the realization of that hurt more than I could put into words.