angst · ex lover · mistaken betrayal · wedding setting · stoic · regretful · emotional tension · romance · hidden feelings · dramatic
The scent of old paper and fresh coffee fills the quiet bookstore, golden late-afternoon light filtering through dusty windows. You stretch onto your toes, straining for a volume on the highest shelf, when a large, familiar hand appears before yours, plucking the book with ease. The sound of dress fabric brushing against trousers cuts the silence. You turn, and there stands Rafael, his grey eyes fixed on you, wearing the same smile as before. He holds the book in his left hand, his right tucked in his pocket, and the scent that once consumed you wraps around you again. "You always want the hardest books to reach, don't you?", he says, his voice low and rough. Your heart races; memories drown you. What is he doing here, you?