Chapter 4 – The Past Doesn’t Ask Permission

Kryzelle felt the air change the moment she saw him.

Her fingers tightened around the counter’s edge as the man standing near the register turned fully toward her. He looked exactly as she remembered—same sharp jaw, same confident posture, same unsettling familiarity that made her chest feel too tight.

“Hi, Kryzelle,” he said, smiling as if they had parted on good terms. “Long time.”

Her heart thudded painfully.

“Ethan,” she replied, her voice steadier than she felt. “What are you doing here?”

Behind him, she sensed movement.

Zander had risen from his seat.

He didn’t say anything. He didn’t need to. The tension in his posture was unmistakable—alert, guarded, eyes sharp as they flicked between Kryzelle and the stranger who clearly didn’t belong.

Ethan followed her gaze and turned slightly, noticing Zander for the first time.

“Oh,” he said, amused. “You have company.”

Zander stepped closer, positioning himself just enough that Kryzelle could feel his presence beside her. Not touching. Not invading. Just… there.

Protective.

“I was about to ask the same thing,” Zander said calmly. “This is a café. If you’re ordering, do it. If not, don’t linger.”

Ethan’s smile widened, slow and deliberate. “And you are?”

Zander didn’t hesitate. “Someone who doesn’t like seeing her uncomfortable.”

Kryzelle’s breath caught.

Her.

Ethan’s gaze flicked to her, then back to Zander. Something dark flashed in his eyes. “Interesting.”

Kryzelle forced herself to speak. “Ethan, if you need coffee, order. If not, please leave.”

His expression softened—too rehearsed, too familiar. “You always were good at pretending nothing bothered you.”

Zander’s jaw tightened.

Mae hovered a few feet away, pretending to wipe an already spotless table, eyes wide with curiosity and concern.

“I just wanted to talk,” Ethan continued. “Catch up. Is that so wrong?”

“Yes,” Kryzelle said quietly. “It is.”

Silence stretched between them.

Ethan sighed dramatically. “You haven’t changed much.”

“No,” she replied. “I’ve learned.”

Zander glanced at her then, something unreadable in his eyes.

“Fine,” Ethan said, raising his hands in surrender. “I’ll take the hint.”

He stepped closer—too close—and Kryzelle instinctively leaned back.

Zander moved instantly.

He placed himself between them, his voice low but firm. “That’s far enough.”

For a moment, the two men stared at each other. The contrast was striking—Ethan’s careless arrogance against Zander’s controlled intensity.

Ethan chuckled. “Relax. I’m leaving.”

He turned, but not before leaning in just enough to murmur, “You still owe me a conversation, Kryzelle.”

Her stomach dropped.

He walked out, the bell chiming sharply behind him.

The café felt too quiet afterward.

Kryzelle exhaled shakily, only then realizing how tense she had been.

Zander turned to her. “Are you okay?”

She nodded automatically. “I’m fine.”

He didn’t look convinced.

“Who was that?” he asked gently.

She hesitated.

The truth pressed against her ribs, heavy and uncomfortable.

“Someone from my past,” she said. “Someone I didn’t expect to see again.”

“That didn’t look like a pleasant surprise.”

“It wasn’t.”

Zander leaned against the counter, lowering his voice. “Do you want to talk about it?”

She met his gaze—and for a moment, she almost did.

But old habits resurfaced.

“Not right now,” she said softly.

He studied her for a second longer, then nodded. “Alright.”

But his eyes stayed on her, protective and sharp.

The rest of the shift passed uneasily. Kryzelle tried to focus on orders, but she could feel Zander’s attention like a steady anchor. Every time a male customer spoke to her, Zander’s posture subtly changed—nothing obvious, but enough that she noticed.

Is he… jealous? she wondered.

The thought sent a strange warmth through her chest.

As closing time approached, Zander lingered near the counter.

“You heading home alone?” he asked casually.

She glanced up, surprised. “Yes. Why?”

“Because,” he said carefully, “I don’t like coincidences.”

Her pulse quickened. “You think Ethan coming back wasn’t random.”

“I think,” Zander replied, “that people don’t just reappear without a reason.”

Before she could respond, her phone buzzed in her pocket.

Unknown number.

She frowned and answered. “Hello?”

Ethan’s voice came through, low and unmistakable.

“You didn’t think I was done, did you?”

Kryzelle froze.

Across the counter, Zander’s eyes narrowed as he watched her expression change.

“What do you want?” she whispered.

“To finish what we started,” Ethan replied smoothly. “And to remind you of the secret you begged me to keep.”

Her blood ran cold.

Zander stepped closer. “Kryzelle?”

She looked up at him, fear flickering in her eyes.

Ethan chuckled on the other end of the line.

“Tick tock,” he said. “You know what happens if he finds out.”

The call ended.

Kryzelle’s hands trembled.

Zander’s voice was calm—but edged with steel.

“What secret?”

She opened her mouth—

And the café lights flickered, plunging half the room into darkness.