Eli sat at the café long after Sophie had left, staring blankly at the half-eaten meal in front of them. The world outside continued on, people walking by, cars honking in the distance, but for Eli, everything had stopped. The rejection, though gentle and filled with care, had cut deep. They had put themselves out there, risked vulnerability, and in the end, Sophie had walked away.
The pain wasn't just in the rejection; it was in the hope that had been crushed. Eli had been so sure that what they felt was real, mutual, something worth fighting for. But Sophie's parting words echoed in their head, looping on repeat: "I can't risk it."
Unable to sit there any longer, Eli stood up abruptly, grabbing their sketchpad and bag. The café, once a place of comfort, felt suffocating. They left without looking back, their feet moving with a purpose they didn't fully understand.
As they walked aimlessly through the city, the thoughts in Eli's head swirled. They replayed every conversation, every moment they had shared with Sophie, searching for clues they might have missed. Had they read it all wrong? Had they been blinded by their feelings? Or had Sophie felt it too, but was too scared to let herself fall?
The weight of it all pressed down on Eli's chest, making it hard to breathe. They found themselves in a park, the cool autumn air brushing against their skin. They sat on a bench, gripping their sketchpad tightly, as if it could somehow anchor them to reality.
Eli opened the pad, flipping through the pages. Sketches of landscapes, of random people they had seen in cafés, and then Sophie. Page after page of her face, her eyes, her expressions. Eli had been consumed by her without even realizing it.
They reached the last sketch they had drawn of Sophie, the one where she looked so peaceful, so full of calm. It felt like a cruel joke now, that the person who had given them this calm had also taken it away.
Without thinking, Eli ripped the page from the sketchpad, crumpling it in their fist. The action was cathartic but fleeting. The anger, the frustration, the pain all of it still lingered, burning in their chest. They wanted to scream, to cry, to release everything they were feeling, but all they could do was sit there, frozen in their own turmoil.
---
Over the next few days, Eli buried themselves in their work, trying to avoid thinking about Sophie. But everywhere they went, they were reminded of her at the café where they used to meet, in the city streets, in the art gallery where Sophie had once stood beside them, her eyes filled with pride as they talked about their future.
Mae noticed the change in Eli almost immediately. They had gone from cautiously hopeful to withdrawn, their usual spark dimmed. One evening, Mae showed up at Eli's apartment unannounced, a six-pack of beer in hand and a look of determination on her face.
"We're not doing this," Mae said the moment Eli opened the door. "You're not going to shut yourself off from the world."
Eli stared at her, too tired to argue. They stepped aside, letting Mae into the apartment. Mae immediately made herself at home, popping open a beer and handing one to Eli.
"Sit," Mae ordered, and Eli complied, sinking into the couch as Mae joined them.
"So, what happened?" Mae asked, though she already knew the answer. Eli had been distant ever since they had last spoken about Sophie, and Mae had been waiting for the inevitable fallout.
Eli took a long sip of beer before answering. "I told her how I felt. She said it's too complicated. That she can't risk it."
Mae nodded, her expression thoughtful. "And you think she really meant that?"
"I don't know," Eli said, their voice laced with frustration. "I think she's scared. I think she feels something, but she won't let herself act on it."
"Classic self-sabotage," Mae muttered. "But that doesn't mean you have to give up."
Eli looked at Mae, eyebrows raised. "I don't know if I can keep fighting for someone who doesn't want to be fought for."
Mae leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm not saying you should keep chasing her if she's not interested. But if she's scared, if she's pushing you away because of her own baggage, that's different. You have to decide if you're willing to wait for her to figure her stuff out, or if you need to move on."
Eli sighed, rubbing their temples. "I just don't know what to do."
Mae softened, leaning forward slightly. "Look, Eli. You're a good person. You've got a lot going for you. But you've been putting a lot of your happiness in someone else's hands. Maybe it's time to focus on what makes *you* happy."
Eli knew Mae was right, but it didn't make the pain any less real. They had spent so much time thinking about Sophie, about the potential between them, that they had lost sight of their own path. Maybe it was time to refocus, to step back and figure out what they needed, regardless of Sophie's choices.
---
A few days later, Eli received an unexpected email from a local gallery. One of the curators had seen their work and wanted to feature them in an upcoming exhibition. It was a chance Eli hadn't seen coming, and for the first time in what felt like weeks, they felt a flicker of excitement.
They threw themselves into their art, spending hours at their desk, sketching and painting, letting their emotions pour out onto the canvas. The pain of Sophie's rejection, the confusion, the anger it all found a home in Eli's work. They created pieces that were raw, intense, filled with the kind of emotion they had never allowed themselves to express before.
As the exhibition date drew closer, Eli realized that their art had become a form of healing. They weren't over Sophie far from it but they were learning how to channel their pain into something productive, something that reminded them of who they were outside of their feelings for her.
On the night of the exhibition, Eli stood in the gallery, surrounded by their work. People moved through the space, admiring the pieces, discussing them in quiet tones. Eli felt proud of what they had accomplished, but there was still a hollow ache in their chest, a part of them that wished Sophie could be there to see it.
As the evening wore on, Eli spotted a familiar figure in the crowd. For a moment, their heart leapt, but when the person turned, Eli realized it wasn't Sophie. The disappointment was sharp, but they pushed it down, focusing on the conversations around them.
Then, as the gallery began to thin out, Eli felt a presence behind them. They turned slowly, their breath catching in their throat.
Sophie stood there, her expression unreadable, but there was a softness in her eyes that Eli hadn't seen in a long time.
"I didn't think you'd come," Eli said, their voice barely above a whisper.
Sophie stepped closer, her gaze flickering to the paintings on the walls. "I almost didn't."
Eli's heart pounded in their chest, the silence between them heavy with everything unsaid. "Why did you?"
Sophie's eyes met Eli's, and for a moment, it felt like the rest of the world had fallen away. "Because I couldn't stop thinking about you."
Eli's breath hitched, the words hitting them like a wave. But before they could respond, Sophie continued.
"I don't know how to do this," Sophie said, her voice thick with emotion. "I'm terrified of making the same mistakes, of hurting you, of getting hurt. But I also can't stop thinking about what might happen if I don't try."
Eli's heart ached at the vulnerability in Sophie's words. "I don't want you to be scared," they said softly. "But I also don't want to be kept at a distance."
Sophie took another step forward, close enough now that Eli could see the way her hands trembled slightly. "I don't want to keep you at a distance anymore."
The air between them crackled with unspoken emotion, and for the first time, Eli felt hope stir in their chest again. Sophie was here, standing in front of them, offering something fragile but real.
"I don't know where this will lead," Sophie said, her eyes locking onto Eli's. "But I'm willing to find out. If you are."
Eli nodded, their throat tight with emotion. "I'm willing."
In that moment, the tension that had been building between them for weeks finally broke. Sophie reached for Eli's hand, and when their fingers intertwined, Eli felt a sense of peace wash over them.
For the first time in a long time, it felt like they were both stepping into the unknown together no longer held back by fear, but ready to face whatever came next.
The days that followed felt surreal to Eli. Sophie's words echoed in their mind, a constant reminder that despite her fear, she was willing to try. It wasn't a grand declaration of love, but it was something a start, a chance to explore the unknown together.
They took things slowly, like two people testing the waters, careful not to rush in too fast. Sophie's walls didn't come down all at once, but they were no longer impenetrable. Eli could feel the subtle shifts, the way Sophie began to let them in more often through small gestures, fleeting touches, and quiet moments where they simply existed together without the weight of expectations.
But there was an unspoken fragility to it all. As much as Eli wanted to dive headfirst into their feelings, they knew that pushing Sophie too hard could cause everything to collapse. Sophie's past loomed large over them, a shadow that neither of them could fully escape.
One evening, they found themselves in Sophie's apartment, sitting side by side on the couch. The city lights flickered through the windows, casting a soft glow across the room. Sophie had invited Eli over after a long day of work, and they had spent the evening cooking dinner together, laughing as they fumbled with recipes and shared stories.
Now, the laughter had faded, and they sat in a comfortable silence, watching the city move beyond the glass. Eli glanced at Sophie, who looked more relaxed than they had ever seen her. She was curled up against the arm of the couch, her hair loose around her face, her eyes half-closed.
"I can't believe how long it took me to notice you," Sophie said softly, breaking the quiet.
Eli smiled, turning to face her fully. "I'm not exactly hard to miss."
Sophie chuckled, but there was a serious undertone to her voice when she continued. "No, I mean…I was so focused on keeping my distance. From everything. From you. But you were always right there, weren't you?"
Eli felt a rush of warmth at her words, but they also sensed the vulnerability beneath them. Sophie was acknowledging how much she had held back, how much she had resisted, and it wasn't easy for her to admit.
"I've always been here," Eli said gently. "And I always will be."
Sophie looked at them, her expression softening, but there was still a flicker of hesitation in her eyes. "It's just…it's hard for me, Eli. I don't know how to be in something real anymore. I've messed it up before."
Eli reached out, taking Sophie's hand in theirs. "You're not going to mess this up. We're both figuring this out together."
Sophie's gaze dropped to their intertwined hands, her thumb gently tracing circles over Eli's skin. "I don't want to hurt you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"You won't," Eli promised, but they both knew it wasn't that simple. There were no guarantees, no way of knowing if they could avoid the pitfalls that had haunted Sophie's past.
They sat in the silence of that truth, but it didn't feel heavy. Instead, it felt like a shared understanding a recognition that what they had was fragile, but also worth the effort.