Elena hurried across campus, her bag heavy with books. The autumn air was crisp, leaves crunching under her boots. She spotted Jessica waving from a bench.
"Elena! Over here!"
Elena smiled, joining her friend. "Hey, Jess. What's up?"
Jessica's eyes sparkled with excitement. "I found something perfect for you."
She handed Elena a flyer. "Poetry Club," it read. "Express yourself through verse."
Elena's heart skipped a beat. "Poetry? I haven't written any since high school."
"But you love literature," Jessica insisted. "And you're always so eloquent on your blog. Come on, it'll be fun!"
Elena hesitated. She glanced at her watch. Eddie would be expecting her home soon.
"When's the next meeting?" she asked.
"Tonight," Jessica grinned. "I knew you'd be interested. Let's go together!"
Elena bit her lip. Then she made a decision. "Okay. Let's do it."
She sent Eddie a quick text: "Staying late for a study group. Don't wait up."
It wasn't exactly a lie, she told herself. Just... a creative truth.
That evening, Elena and Jessica entered the cozy room where the Poetry Club met. Mismatched chairs formed a circle. Fairy lights twinkled on the walls.
"Welcome!" A tall guy with curly hair greeted them. "I'm Max, the club president. New faces!"
Elena introduced herself, feeling a bit shy. "I'm not really a poet," she admitted.
Max laughed. "None of us are. We're just people who love words. Come, sit!"
As they settled in, Elena noticed a guy in the corner. He had tousled dark hair and intense green eyes. He was scribbling furiously in a notebook.
"That's Liam," Jessica whispered. "He's kind of the star of the club. His poems are amazing."
Elena nodded, intrigued. There was something about Liam that drew her eye.
Max called the meeting to order. "Let's start with a writing prompt. 'The road not taken.' You have ten minutes. Go!"
Elena stared at her blank page. The road not taken. She thought of London. Of Alfie. Of the life she might have had.
Her pen began to move.
Ten minutes flew by. Max asked for volunteers to share. A few people raised their hands.
Then Liam stood up. The room fell silent.
His voice was deep, melodic. He spoke of choices, of parallel lives, of the whisper of 'what if' that haunts our dreams.
Elena felt a shiver run down her spine. It was as if Liam had reached into her soul and pulled out her deepest thoughts.
When he finished, the room erupted in applause. Liam's eyes met Elena's for a brief moment. She felt her cheeks flush.
After the meeting, Elena lingered, chatting with Max about the club's upcoming events.
"Elena, right?" a voice said behind her.
She turned to see Liam. Up close, his eyes were even more striking.
"Yes," she smiled. "I loved your poem."
Liam's lips quirked up. "Thanks. I liked yours too."
Elena blinked. "But I didn't share..."
"I have good hearing," Liam shrugged. "You were whispering it to yourself. It was beautiful."
Elena felt her face heat up. "Oh. I... thank you."
"You're new here, aren't you?" Liam asked. "I haven't seen you around campus before."
Elena nodded. "Just moved from London. For my fiancé's studies."
Something flashed in Liam's eyes at the word 'fiancé'. Disappointment? Or was Elena imagining things?
"London, wow," Liam said. "I bet you have some stories to tell."
They fell into easy conversation. Liam was a literature major too, focusing on modern poetry. He worked part-time at a local bookstore.
"You should come by sometime," he said. "We have a great selection of British authors. Might help with homesickness."
Elena smiled. "I'd like that."
As they talked, Elena felt a spark of connection. Liam got her passion for words in a way Eddie never had.
"We should grab coffee sometime," Liam suggested. "Talk more about poetry. And London. I've always wanted to visit."
Elena hesitated. It was just coffee. Just a friendship. But why did it feel like more?
"Sure," she heard herself say. "That would be nice."
They exchanged numbers. As Elena walked home with Jessica, her mind was buzzing.
"So," Jessica nudged her. "Liam seemed into you."
Elena frowned. "What? No. I told him I'm engaged."
Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Uh-huh. So what? He's just a fiancé."
Elena shook her head. "It's not like that. We're just... connecting over poetry."
"Right," Jessica laughed. "Because that's not romantic at all."
Elena tried to push the thought away. But as she entered her apartment, she couldn't shake the memory of Liam's intense gaze.She always felt that gaze penetrated into her heart.
Eddie is sitting on the sofa watching a football match. He barely looked up as she came in.
"How was your study group?" he asked absently.
Elena paused. "It was... inspiring," she said finally. It wasn't a lie.
She sat down to write a new blog post. But instead of fashion tips, words of poetry flowed from her fingers.
She wrote about London and Boston. About roads taken and not taken. About the power of words to connect us.
As she hit publish, Elena felt a thrill of excitement. This was a new direction for her blog. A merging of her passions.
Her phone buzzed. A text from Liam: "Great meeting you tonight. Looking forward to our coffee date. I mean, chat. :)"
Elena stared at the message. Her heart raced. She shouldn't reply. She knew that.
But her fingers moved of their own accord: "Me too. See you soon."
As she set her phone down, Elena caught sight of her engagement ring. It felt heavy on her finger.
She loved Eddie. She did. But was love enough if it meant silencing part of herself?
Elena pushed the thought away. For now, she'd focus on her classes, her blog, her new friends. The rest... well, she'd figure it out as she went along.
As she got ready for bed, Elena found herself reciting Liam's poem under her breath. The words resonated deep within her.
Eddie seemed to be asleep when she crept under the covers. Elena stared at the ceiling, her mind full of verses and possibilities." Oh, what a wonderful poem. " she muttered to herself.
"Which poem?" Eddie's voice suddenly rang out. He turned around and stared at her quietly.
His eyes concealed many emotions, questioning, doubting, and perplexed.
Elena was startled, and she instinctively said, "No, nothing. It's just a poem I read in a book."
"Which one? What was it about?"asked Eddie.
At this moment, Elena was very fortunate that Eddie did not understand the books she read or literature.She casually recited a love poem, "I just wanted to think of our love through this poem, my dear."
Eddy laughed softly, his hand lifting her chin, "That's my good kitten, you must remember that I am the one you should focus on the most, darling."
His hand slid down, his eyes filled with lust.
She was very happy at the moment, that she had her period yesterday. "No, Eddie, I'm not feeling well today. You know what I mean."
Eddie felt down, but he couldn't get angry. He had no choice but to withdraw his hand and give her a perfunctory kiss on the forehead. "Good night." He turned over and went back to sleep.
Elena had no enthusiasm for her usual pre-bedtime routine. She responded to the good-night greeting with a brief "good night" and sighed deeply within. Boston was changing her. Or perhaps, Boston was simply letting her be her true self, she pondered silently.