chapter 7

Chapter 6: The next morning, Lila woke up to the aftermath of Muffin Madness Night—and it was a glorious mess. The café was still filled with the faint scent of frosting and sprinkles, like a sugary reminder of the chaos that had ensued the night before. Everywhere she looked, there were muffin crumbs and glitter—glitter that, despite every attempt to clean it up, was clearly there to stay.Lila couldn’t help but smile as she grabbed a broom from the closet. Last night had been more than just a success—it had been fun. People had actually enjoyed themselves. And, even better, Ben had been surprisingly supportive. He hadn’t just stood in the corner with his arms crossed, like she’d expected. He’d actually joined in the madness. Sure, he’d only decorated one muffin, but he’d laughed. And that, for Ben, was a small victory.As she swept, Lila’s phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out, expecting a message from Grace, but instead, it was a text from an unknown number.“Hey, Lila. Great job last night. I saw you were having fun. I’m glad it all went well.”It was from Ben.Lila’s heart skipped a beat. Ben had texted her?She stared at the screen, suddenly unsure what to say. Was this a friendly message? Or was he trying to tell her something? Was there something more behind those words, or was she just reading too much into it?Before she could type a response, another message came through:“Also, I know we’ve had a lot of fun lately with the whole bakery idea, but I’ve been thinking…”Lila’s fingers hovered over the screen. Uh-oh. That could mean anything.She chewed on her lip as she read the next line.“I might need to take a step back from the whole thing. I’ve been dealing with some personal stuff lately, and I don’t want to drag you into it. So, let’s maybe talk more later, okay?”Lila felt her stomach drop. What?It wasn’t like she was expecting Ben to suddenly declare his undying love for her, but the sudden coldness in the text stung. It was so abrupt. One moment, they were laughing, planning the future of the bakery, and the next, he was pulling away.What happened?She quickly typed a response, trying not to sound too hurt, but it came out a little too quickly.“Hey, I’m sorry to hear that. If you need space, I totally understand. Just let me know if you want to talk later.”Lila stared at her phone, willing him to text back, but... nothing.The silence on the other end was almost unbearable.Later That Day...Lila spent the rest of the morning cleaning up the last bits of glitter and frosting, but her mind was a million miles away. The excitement from last night felt like a distant memory, overshadowed by the odd tension that had settled in her chest.Why had Ben pulled away?She wasn’t sure why it bothered her so much. After all, they were just getting to know each other. Maybe he was just... busy? But his message had felt personal, more than just a passing comment.And then there was the question of the bakery. Would he still be on board for that? Or had her dream been dashed before it could even start?At the Café...By the time Lila made her way over to Ben’s Brew & Bakery later that afternoon, she felt a mix of anticipation and dread. She needed to talk to Ben. To figure out what was going on. Was he pulling out of the bakery idea altogether? Or was this just some weird, inexplicable thing he was going through?She pushed open the door to the café, and immediately, the familiar smell of coffee and baked goods hit her. Ben was behind the counter, and, to her surprise, Grace was sitting at one of the tables, reading a book and drinking a latte.Grace looked up and immediately waved her over. “Hey, you’re here! How did last night go?”Lila smiled weakly and made her way to the counter, though her heart wasn’t in it. “It went great... well, mostly. People seemed to have a lot of fun.”“Of course they did!” Grace replied with a grin. “You guys killed it. This place was buzzing! And we’re going to do it again, right? I think ‘Muffin Madness’ should be a weekly thing.”Lila nodded, but the thought didn’t have the same excitement it had just hours ago. She glanced at Ben, who was wiping down the counter, clearly not looking up.Grace, sensing something was off, leaned in closer to Lila. “Everything okay? You don’t seem... yourself.”Lila hesitated, her gaze flicking to Ben again. “I just... I don’t know. I got a text from Ben this morning. He said he needed some space. Like, from the bakery... and maybe from me, too?”Grace’s eyes widened in surprise. “Wait, what? He texted you? And he said that?”Lila nodded. “Yeah, I mean, I don’t know. It just feels... weird. I thought we were getting along. We were having fun with the bakery plans, and then this.”Grace leaned back, clearly deep in thought. “Hmm... you know, Ben can be a little... distant sometimes. He’s not the best at talking about his feelings. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t like you. He just... has some stuff going on. I can tell you that much.”Lila bit her lip. “I don’t want to push him if he needs space. But I also don’t want to lose this opportunity, Grace. I’ve worked so hard to get here, and now it feels like it’s slipping away.”Grace gave her a sympathetic look. “I get it. But sometimes, you’ve got to be patient with people. If Ben’s going through something, it’ll come out when he’s ready. And trust me, he’s not a bad guy. He just... doesn’t always know how to handle all this stuff.”Lila took a deep breath, nodding slowly. “Yeah. You’re probably right. I just wish I knew how to fix it.”Grace patted her arm. “Well, you can’t fix him. You can’t fix anyone. But you can keep doing what you’re doing. If he’s into it, he’ll catch up with you when he’s ready. And in the meantime, you keep your bakery dream alive. Because you’re good at this, Lila. Don’t let him stop you.”Lila smiled at her, feeling a small bit of comfort in the chaos. “Thanks, Grace. I needed to hear that.”A Little Later...Ben finally emerged from behind the counter, holding a coffee cup in his hands. He looked at Lila briefly before giving a small, almost apologetic smile. “Hey.”Lila gave him a nod, forcing herself to smile. “Hey, Ben.”He hesitated for a moment, then looked at her with a sincerity that caught her off guard. “Look, I didn’t mean to be weird this morning. I just... I’ve been going through some stuff. And I didn’t want to drag you into it. But I don’t want to mess things up with the bakery. I actually think you’ve got something great going on here.”Lila’s heart fluttered. “Really? Because... I didn’t know if you were pulling out of the whole idea.”Ben ran a hand through his hair. “No. I mean, I’m still in. I’m just... I needed a little time to think. It’s been a lot, and I haven’t exactly been great at balancing things.”Lila nodded, her heart feeling a little lighter. “I get it. I’m not trying to push you. I just don’t want to lose sight of this. The bakery. The idea. The fun we had.”Ben looked at her, and this time, there was no denying it—the warmth in his eyes. “I’m not going anywhere. Just... give me some time, okay? I’ll catch up.”Lila smiled. “Deal.”As she walked out of the café that day, she felt a sense of relief. Things weren’t perfect, but they were real. And sometimes, that was enough.