The following days passed in a blur, each one stretching out like the last, but Ethan couldn't shake the thought of Emma. The fleeting glance they shared had burrowed itself under his skin, like a seed planted deep in his mind, taking root and growing, slowly but steadily. He found himself returning to the coffee shop at the same time every day, hoping to see her again. The chance encounter had ignited something in him, something he hadn't expected—a longing, an inexplicable connection.
But there was always an unsettling calm in Emma's demeanor. She moved through the world with the kind of grace that didn't need validation. She was never the center of attention, yet everyone around her seemed to be drawn to her quiet confidence. Ethan watched her from his corner, wondering how she could be so completely unaware of the effect she had on him.
One afternoon, just as the weather was turning colder, he saw her again.
She walked in alone this time. Her usual friend wasn't there to accompany her, and the absence seemed to make her more noticeable somehow. She stood in line at the counter, her gaze scanning the menu, before she ordered something simple—a cappuccino, just like last time. Ethan couldn't help but study the curve of her neck as she spoke to the barista, the soft sweep of her hair falling over her shoulder. He hadn't realized until that moment how badly he wanted to know more about her. What did she do when she wasn't here? What went on behind those quiet eyes?
When she turned, her gaze passed over him, but it didn't linger. Ethan's heart skipped again, but he didn't make the mistake of staring this time. Instead, he leaned back in his seat, pretending to be lost in his book, though he wasn't really reading.
Emma took a seat at the far corner, a table away from his usual spot. He kept glancing over at her, unable to keep himself from looking. She was absorbed in something on her phone, her fingers scrolling steadily, her expression neutral, almost distant. There was an air of loneliness about her, though she was surrounded by people. Maybe it was the way she didn't try to fit in, or maybe it was just that she seemed so untouched by the chaos around her.
Ethan wondered if that was what drew him in. The mystery. The quiet, unreachable part of her.
After a while, Emma's phone slipped from her hand, and she leaned back in her chair, looking out the window at the bustling street. The world outside seemed to move at a faster pace than she did. Ethan could almost hear the silence between them. His mind raced, but his body stayed still.
It was when she stood to leave that his breath caught in his throat.
She looked up, meeting his gaze for a brief second. It wasn't much—just a quick flicker of recognition—but it was enough.
For a moment, he thought she might say something, or perhaps that she might even sit down at his table, but she didn't. She turned, her back to him as she made her way out the door. A small part of him felt disappointed, but another part of him was elated. She had noticed him again. And that was all he needed.
That evening, he couldn't stop thinking about her, that glance they had shared. It wasn't much, but to him, it meant everything.
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