Cafe Whispers Novels & Stories

I had left the hoodie at home and put on a navy button-down shirt tucked into dark jeans, trying to look like someone who hadn’t just crawled out of emotional hibernation. First stop? No luck. Second stop? A maybe. But it was the third stop that changed everything. A narrow coffee shop tucked at the corner of a quieter street, wedged between a record store and a yoga studio. The front window was clean and bright, framed by gold letters that read: KAFÉ VERSE The interior looked like the kind of place where trust-fund kids and literary critics rubbed shoulders over oat milk lattes. It was giving rich vibes. As I walked in, a barista near the counter spotted me.

And somewhere below them all, in the dark wing of the basement, Cassia still whispered. I remember.

Café Verve was the kind of place influencers flocked to—hanging plants, blackboard menus in curly chalk, indie music humming under the clatter of cups. The air smelled like cinnamon and espresso. Isabella took a sip of her latte, and her eyes nearly rolled back. God. Good coffee. Dangerously good. She made a mental note to come back—minus the villainess across the table. Chloe Dubois sat opposite, flawless as always, crossing her legs just so. Even her diamond bracelet sparkled like it had been rehearsed. Isabella’s spoon clinked against porcelain as she stirred though the latte didn’t need stirring. Her nerves demanded it.

The cafe was calm, The scent of coffee filling the air, people made small chatters sipping on their coffees. Some focused on their works typing on their laptops or pads with a coffee cup at the side, occasionally sipping from it when tired. As everyone seemed busy in their own world either chatting with friends or working, Grace sat at a distant corner of the cafe lost in thoughts occasionally sipping on her coffee which she ordered not too long ago. She was seated at the corner of the cafe on a table for two, she had arrived a few minutes ago after collecting herself and mustering the courage to leave the Cemetery, take a bus and then head to the small cafe at her stop, though the fear stil

I couldn’t be more happy. “Gosh! I love my mixed and matched milk tea!” Sheena shrieked as she sipped on from her drink. The café did match its name: Mix and Match Café. We enjoyed the mixing and matching of different ingredients. Mine had a lot of whip cream on the top, sprinkled with chocolate syrup. I really love chocolate, that's why mine has a lot of it. “Should we study bartending in free college?” I laughed at them. “Why don’t you just put up a cafeteria? I'll work for you, two.”

Three weeks of silence. ​I walked down to the small café near the port. It was an old place, filled with the scent of roasted beans and damp wood. I sat at our usual corner table—or the table that would have been ours. Without thinking, I ordered two coffees. ​The waitress nodded and walked away. When she returned, she placed both mugs on the table. The steam rose in twin spirals, curling into the cold air. I stared at the cup opposite me. It remained untouched, a ceramic monument to the void Julian had left behind. The realization hit me with the force of a physical blow: he wasn't coming.

test? I stood at the counter, the aroma of freshly brewed coffee swirling around me. The barista called out my order, and I took a deep breath, my mind racing. I placed my order, the warmth of the cup a comforting counterpoint to the turmoil within me. As I stepped onto the elevator, the steaming mug clutched in my hand.

He did the same too. "Niklaus! Good to see you. Come stai?" Fenrir excitedly greeted and asked how I was. "Sto bene. Passami una birra, per favore," I answered him and asked for a beer. He swiftly moved back inside the counter and showed me five famous Italian liquors. I chose the third one. "Ah! Birra Moretti! Nice choice!" he claimed and moved the remaining liquors back to their places. I, on the other hand, opened the bottle and drank my frustration about my unending nightmares.

The two win vouchers from the bar. Abby starts sending to Debbie greeting cards and flowers. Debbie suspects it was Abby but she is shy to confront her. Feb.16 Debbie went alone in OneBar. Abby saw her and watch her closely. Debbie’s eye is roaming to see if Alexis was in for tonight. Abby instructs a waiter and said, “It our bar special policies - when our guess is alone. We will take care of them. So bring it on. Whatever you order it’s on us. But remember this is our secret policy – You are not alone policy. Nobody should know except you.”