Ethan’s Gamble
The quiet hum of the café did nothing to ease the tightness in Ethan’s chest. He had expected this moment to feel different, but now, standing just outside the door, watching Olivia and Liam through the glass, the weight of his decisions crashed down on him. Two worlds were pulling him in opposite directions, and every step he took in one felt like a betrayal of the other.
He stepped inside, and the faint ring of a bell over the door was like a death knell for the fragile lie he was about to tell. He saw them sitting in a corner booth, a low conversation punctuated by Liam’s easy smile and Olivia’s tentative glances. It almost looked like a normal moment. Too normal.
Ethan took a slow breath, letting the rich scent of roasted beans fill his lungs. It was all an illusion.
