The autumn air nipped at Tabitha's skin as she stepped into the small café. The comforting buzz of soft chatter and the rich scent of freshly brewed coffee immediately embraced her. It was a familiar refuge from the chaos of her day—an unspoken promise of peace that seemed out of reach everywhere else.
She scanned the room for a seat, but the usual corner by the window was taken. Her eyes swept over the café, then froze. There, in the far corner, was the man.
He sat alone at a small table, his attention absorbed by the pages of an open book, though his coffee sat cold beside him. The faint hum of the city outside seemed to fade as she watched him. His face, still soft despite the faint stubble along his jaw, looked almost... wistful.
How did he get here?
The last time she'd seen him, they'd barely exchanged words. She didn't even know his name, but there was something about his presence—quiet, enigmatic—that tugged at something deep inside her.
She turned away quickly, pushing the confusing thoughts from her mind. It's just a coincidence. She went to the counter to order, her fingers trembling ever so slightly as she handed over her card. The barista smiled at her kindly, and she attempted to smile back, but the sudden weight in her chest made it hard to summon the effort.
As she collected her coffee, her eyes darted back to him, and this time, his gaze was already on her.
A jolt ran through her—an unspoken recognition in his eyes that made her stomach flip. There was a brief moment of silence before he spoke, his voice low, almost hesitant.
"Tabitha?"
Her heart skipped a beat. She froze. His voice was so soft, but it was unmistakably her name. She stared at him for a moment, confusion swirling in her chest. She hadn't told him her name. Had she?
How does he know my name?
She swallowed, trying to mask the surprise in her voice. "How do you—?" she began, but the words caught in her throat.
He smiled, a faint blush spreading across his cheeks, making her heart flutter. It was a small, nervous smile, but it was genuine—almost apologetic. His gaze flickered to the side for a moment, his fingers nervously tapping against his cup.
"I... I'm not sure how. It's just something I... knew."
The admission was strange, even more so because his expression was completely serious. He wasn't joking or trying to explain it away.
Tabitha blinked, unsure how to process what he had said. "What do you mean you 'knew'?" she asked, her voice quiet, almost tentative.
He smiled again, but this time, the blush deepened on his cheeks. He seemed embarrassed, his hands shifting awkwardly over the coffee cup as if the warmth there would ground him. "I guess I've just felt... like we've met before. In another way."
His words hung in the air, thick with meaning but thin on explanation. Tabitha leaned back in her seat, her fingers gripping her coffee cup as if it would steady her. She wanted to ask more, to dig deeper, but part of her hesitated. There was something about him—his intensity, his crypticness—that made her feel like asking would be too much. She wasn't sure she was ready for whatever answer he might give.
Still, she couldn't ignore the flutter in her chest. The way his blush deepened when he spoke, the earnestness in his eyes—there was a vulnerability there, one that she wasn't used to seeing in strangers.
A small, almost imperceptible sigh escaped her lips as she took a slow sip of her coffee, trying to gather her thoughts. The warmth of the cup spread through her fingers, and she could feel the subtle tension between them—like a quiet current beneath the surface.
She tried to compose herself, but the curiosity gnawed at her. "Are you... sure we've never met before?" she asked, the question slipping from her lips before she could stop it.
He seemed to consider the question, his brows furrowing slightly. For a moment, she wondered if he would dismiss it with some casual explanation, but instead, he simply shook his head.
"No. I don't think we have. But it feels like... we should have."
Tabitha couldn't help but admire the sincerity in his voice. There was something so disarming about him—like he wasn't trying to hide anything. Like he was just... there, present in the moment, even as the world around them spun on.
She bit her lip, wondering how to respond. Her mind was a whirlwind of questions, but none of them felt like they had an answer. She wasn't sure what to make of him, or of this strange feeling that had settled deep in her chest. But there was something about him, something familiar and yet completely unknown, that made her want to stay.
She glanced around the café, the quiet hum of background noise filling the space between them. It felt almost surreal—this moment, this strange pull she felt. She had never been good at talking to people, especially not like this. Her social circle was small, her heart even smaller. But something about him... made her feel like maybe it was okay to open up, just a little.
Her gaze returned to him, and she smiled softly, trying to push the awkwardness aside. "So... what happens now?" Her words felt small compared to the weight of the moment, but they were all she could manage.
He looked at her, the blush still coloring his cheeks, and for a moment, she could've sworn there was a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Not of her, exactly. But something deeper, something they both shared without fully understanding it.
"I don't know," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "But maybe... this is where it begins."
Tabitha nodded slowly, her mind still buzzing with the weight of his words. But there was something soothing in his presence, something calming in the way he made her feel like maybe—just maybe—she wasn't as alone as she thought.
She didn't know what this was, or where it would go, but for the first time in a long while, she felt like the possibility of something more was within reach.
And that was enough for now.
End of chapter 3.