CHAPTER OO3
1189 Words
Chapter 003
Selene’s point of view.
What’s the worst that could happen?
I hated that thought the second it popped into my head. It gave me chills. Something didn’t feel right. As I got closer to the kitchen, I slowed down without meaning to. There was a weird sound coming from inside—quick steps, like someone moving around in a panic.
I peeked around the corner and spotted someone crouched behind the counter.
Camila?
She looked like she was about to pass out. Pale, shaky, hiding behind the giant kitchen island like it was going to make her invisible. It was the dumbest hiding spot ever. Anyone walking in could still see her clear as day.
She looked up, spotted me, and let out a long sigh like she’d been holding her breath for hours. One hand was pressed to her chest like she was trying to hold her heart in place.
"What are you doing?" I asked.
Too fast. I already had a good idea.
Camila slowly got up, rolling her eyes. “You didn’t see Mateo?”
So that was it.
Her face twisted into a scowl like she’d bitten into something sour. I wasn’t surprised.
I let out a quiet sigh. This was why I didn’t date. Especially not someone who thinks being your boyfriend means being your boss. Always checking in, always needing to know what you're doing, always expecting you to explain yourself. And what? Because he's rich, it’s supposed to be okay?
Camila’s whole deal could be summed up with one sentence.
The problem’s not the boyfriend. The problem’s how he tries to run your life.
I just want to work, study, and go home. That’s it. No drama, no headaches.
“I saw him,” I said with a shrug. “But you don’t need to hide.”
She blinked like I just said the dumbest thing ever.
“Are you serious right now?” Her arms flew up like I’d asked her to start selling something shady out of the café. “He doesn't know I work here!”
I stared at her. “You don’t think he’s gonna ask questions when he sees me?”
She paused.
Yeah. That shut her up.
Right then, the front door slammed open. Fast. Loud.
There he was.
Mateo.
And he was mad. I mean really mad. His whole face was tight, jaw clenched, eyes locked on Camila like she just burned his favorite shirt.
I wasn’t the reason he was here, but his whole vibe made my chest tighten anyway.
He stormed right toward her. No hesitation.
If I didn’t know he actually cared about her, I might’ve felt sorry. Mateo had that scary vibe, the kind of guy who never backs down. But deep down, I knew he wasn’t as heartless as he acted.
Still… the way he was looking at her right then…
“I thought you told him,” I mumbled under my breath.
Didn’t she say they talked about her working here?
I wasn’t getting involved though. Not my circus. Not my monkeys.
“We’re leaving,” Mateo said.
No emotion. Just ice.
Camila didn’t argue. She knew better. She followed him out without a word.
I turned—and almost screamed.
Señor Herrera.
He stood a few steps away, staring at the door like he saw a ghost. The color had drained from his face. This was the same guy who barked at people about napkins and sugar jars, always had a ruler-straight apron and a sharp glare.
Now he looked like a little kid who got caught sneaking snacks.
What did Mateo do to him?
Whatever it was, it shook him.
I tried to walk past.
“Wait, Selene,” he said softly.
Oh no. What now?
I turned slowly. “Yes, sir?”
He took a deep breath like he was diving into a pool.
“You should go home.”
What?
I blinked. That couldn’t be right.
“Señor?” I asked, voice barely above a whisper. “I didn’t do anything. No complaints, no mess-ups. I’ve been polite. I smiled. I even—”
I stopped.
I remembered him. The guy I served earlier. The one who gave me chills without even saying much.
Still, I didn’t do anything wrong. I was nice. I did everything right.
“If I made a mistake, I’m sorry,” I said, trying not to sound like I was begging. “Please don’t fire me. I really need this job.”
He looked confused.
“I can work double shifts,” I offered. “I’ll stay late. I’ll clean the bathrooms. Just don’t—”
Then he laughed.
Like, full-on laugh.
What is going on today?
First, Mateo storms in like some movie villain. Then Señor Herrera looks like he saw the devil. Now he’s laughing like I just told him a joke.
Is the world broken today? Are we in someone else’s reality?
He finally caught his breath and wiped his eyes. “You’re not fired,” he said. “I’m giving you a day off. That’s it. You’ve been working too hard. You’ve got coffee-colored circles under your eyes.”
I stared at him. Didn’t know whether to cry or hug him.
Just… a day off?
“You can come back tomorrow,” he said. “Go home, Selene. Rest.”
He gave me two pats on the back and started walking away.
Before the kitchen door swung shut, he called back, “Just go home, dear.”
Even though he couldn’t see me anymore, I nodded.
It’d been a long time since anyone talked to me like that. Like I mattered. Like a dad would.
Señor Herrera could be strict, yeah. But he never stopped looking out for his daughter. Even after his wife passed, he kept going. Strong. Focused. Still showing up.
That’s the kind of father I used to have.
The kind I miss.
The man who used to read me stories before bed. Who made silly voices and fixed my bike. Not the ghost who sleeps in our house now, stuck in his room, always angry.
That man’s gone. I know it. But I still miss him anyway.
Before Señor Herrera could change his mind, I got my stuff, changed out of my uniform, and left the café.
My legs were sore. My back hurts. But my apartment was only a few blocks away.
I just wanted to sleep.
On my way out, I looked around.
Empty now.
Too quiet.
Something about today stuck with me, though. Like static in the air. Something had shifted. Mateo and Camila. That creepy customer. Señor Herrera looking like he'd seen something he couldn’t unsee.
This wasn’t just a weird day. It felt bigger.
Like it was only the beginning.
I’m not trying to solve mysteries or anything. But there’s something going on here.
Something big.
And whether I like it or not, I think I’m already in it.
Maybe a break isn’t so bad after all.
I’m going to need all the energy I can get.
Because tomorrow?
Tomorrow could get even stranger.
- Writer
