Chapter 2: Memories of Us
208 Words
The café was small, tucked away in a quiet alley just a short walk from the bookshop. Emilia stirred her cappuccino absently, watching the foam swirl into delicate patterns. Across from her, Luca sat with his fingers wrapped around a small espresso cup, the tension in his shoulders unmistakable.
The silence stretched between them, thick with words left unsaid.
Emilia finally broke it. “You never wrote.”
Luca exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck. “I did.” His voice was quiet, almost hesitant. “I just never sent them.”
She blinked, caught off guard. “Why?”
His gaze dropped to his coffee. “Because I didn’t know if you wanted to hear from me.”
Anger flickered in her chest, but it was dulled by something far more dangerous—hope. Hope that he had missed her. That he had regretted leaving.
“That wasn’t your decision to make,” she said, her voice sharper than she intended.
Luca met her eyes then, something raw flashing in them. “I know.”
A beat of silence.
Then, softly, he added, “Do you want to know what I wrote?”
Her fingers tightened around her cup. She wasn’t sure. But she nodded anyway.
- Writer
