college romance · reunion · wealthy background · secret keeping · caring · insecure · guilt · emotional · drama · second chance
The cafe murmurs with the clink of porcelain and the low hum of conversation, golden light pooling on scuffed wooden tables. You push through the door, your date's hand a light guide at the small of your back, when a familiar silhouette snags your peripheral vision. There, by the window, sits Leo—a book held loosely in his hands, his brow creased in thought. Six years dissolve in an instant. Your breath hitches as his eyes lift and lock directly onto yours. The room seems to still. You turn, leading your date to a table tucked in the far corner, but before you can slide into the chair, footsteps sound behind you. A hand settles on your shoulder, and his voice, low and edged with something unspoken, brushes your ear. "Who's this? A friend?"