chapter 21

Chapter 20: It had been two weeks since their cozy night at the bistro, and Lila and Ben had been settling into their own comfortable rhythm. The café continued to be a place of refuge, not just for the regular customers but for Lila and Ben as well. It wasn’t just a workplace anymore—it was where they built memories, where their connection grew a little deeper each day.But things, as they often did, took an unexpected turn.It was a Friday afternoon, and Lila was at the counter, busy working on a batch of scones when the door opened. The bell jingled, signaling the arrival of a new customer. She didn’t look up immediately, as her mind was focused on making sure the scones came out perfectly. But when she heard the familiar sound of a voice she hadn’t expected to hear, her hands froze.“Lila?”Her heart dropped into her stomach.She looked up slowly, her breath catching in her throat as she saw him.It was Ethan.Her ex.Ethan had been a part of her life long before Ben had come into the picture. He’d been her first real love, the one she’d thought she would marry. They had shared dreams and plans, until life had taken them in different directions, and the relationship had ended in a way that left a few wounds still healing.He looked the same—tall, messy brown hair, and those blue eyes that always had a certain intensity to them. He wore a well-tailored jacket and had that same confident, almost cocky way of standing that used to make her stomach flutter.But now? Now, it made her feel a little uneasy.Lila tried to force a smile, but it felt stiff on her face. “Ethan. What—what are you doing here?”He hesitated for a moment before stepping inside fully, glancing around the café as if taking it all in. “I’ve heard a lot about this place,” he said, his voice low. “I didn’t expect it to be so... cozy.”She nodded, trying to keep the conversation casual, even though every nerve in her body was screaming. “Yeah. It’s kind of become my thing. I run the place now. But... I didn’t expect to see you, either.”He smiled, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “I know. It’s been a while.” He looked around, then back at her. “How’ve you been, Lila?”She took a deep breath, forcing her emotions to stay under control. “I’ve been fine. You know, doing my thing. Running the café. It’s been good.”“Good,” he said, nodding slowly. “I’m glad to hear that.”There was a long silence. Lila wanted to ask him why he was here, but she didn’t have the courage. She couldn’t bring herself to dive into the past just yet—not with Ben out there, not with all the things she still hadn’t worked through.Ethan shifted his weight slightly, his eyes flicking over her face as though trying to read her. “Look, I know we didn’t exactly end on the best of terms,” he said, his voice softer now. “But I’ve been thinking about you a lot lately. And I wanted to come by... see how you’re doing.”Lila’s chest tightened at the weight of his words. “Ethan, I don’t—”She didn’t get to finish.At that exact moment, the door to the café opened again, and Ben walked in. His expression shifted as soon as he saw Ethan standing there, and Lila could see the muscles in his jaw tighten as he stopped just inside the door.Ben hesitated, his eyes flicking between Lila and Ethan. For a moment, everything was still, the air thick with unspoken tension. Then Ben took a step forward, his gaze locked on Ethan’s.“Can I help you?” Ben’s voice was calm, but there was a sharp edge to it, one that Lila hadn’t heard before.Ethan turned slowly to face Ben, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. “I’m just catching up with an old friend,” he said casually, but the look in his eyes told a different story. “You must be... Ben.”Lila’s heart pounded in her chest. She wanted to speak, to break the tension, but the words wouldn’t come. Everything felt like it was slipping away.Ben nodded, his jaw still clenched, but his eyes never left Ethan’s. “Yeah. I’m Ben. And you are?”“I’m just an old acquaintance of Lila’s,” Ethan said, his tone too smooth, too calculating. “We go way back.”There was a silence then, and the air felt charged, thick with unspoken history. Lila glanced at Ben, then back at Ethan, unsure of what to do or say next.Ben shifted his weight, his posture becoming more relaxed, but Lila could see the tension in his shoulders. He had his hand casually resting on the counter, but there was something in his eyes—a flicker of something protective, possessive, maybe.“Well,” Ben said, breaking the silence, “I’ll leave you two to catch up. I’m going to grab a coffee.”He gave Lila a quick, almost hesitant glance before walking toward the counter, leaving Lila standing there with Ethan. She felt a tight knot in her stomach. This was not how she had imagined today would go.---Later That EveningThe rest of the afternoon passed in a blur. Ethan didn’t stay long, but his presence lingered in the air long after he’d left. Lila couldn’t shake the unease she felt. And it wasn’t just because Ethan had shown up unexpectedly. It was because she could feel the shift in Ben’s mood, the way he seemed to withdraw into himself after their interaction.That evening, after the café had emptied and the last of the customers had left, Ben sat at one of the tables near the window, staring out into the darkened street. Lila found him there, leaning against the back of his chair, his fingers drumming on the tabletop absentmindedly.She walked over slowly, unsure of what to say. The atmosphere between them felt different now, heavier somehow. She sat down across from him, her heart heavy in her chest.“Ben,” she started, her voice soft, “I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t expect Ethan to show up like that. I know it wasn’t easy.”Ben turned his head to look at her, his eyes meeting hers with a mixture of concern and something else—something she couldn’t quite place. “I’m not mad,” he said quietly. “But it was... awkward.”“I know,” she admitted. “It threw me off too. I didn’t know he was even back in town.”Ben’s fingers stilled on the table. “Are you okay? I mean... with him being here? With everything?”Lila hesitated. She wasn’t sure what she felt. Ethan’s presence had stirred up things she wasn’t ready to confront, things she didn’t know how to process.“I don’t know,” she said honestly. “It just feels... strange. Seeing him again. Like there’s this part of me that hasn’t fully moved on. I thought I had, but... maybe I haven’t.”Ben’s gaze softened, and he leaned forward slightly. “You don’t have to have it all figured out, Lila. I’m here. Whatever happens, I’m here.”Lila looked at him, her chest tightening. She wasn’t sure where things were going, but she knew one thing for sure: Ben was the one she wanted to figure it out with.And maybe, just maybe, that was enough for now.