Lena spent the next few days in a haze of confusion and heartache. She barely managed to get through work, her thoughts constantly drifting back to Ethan and Megan. Every time her phone buzzed, her heart leapt, only to be disappointed when it wasn’t a message from Ethan or a new development in the saga with Megan.
It was a gray, rainy afternoon when Lena decided to take a break from her self-imposed isolation. She needed to clear her mind, so she wrapped herself in a cozy scarf and headed to her favorite coffee shop, Java Café. The place was a refuge from the chaos in her life—a place where she could relax with a good book and a steaming cup of coffee.
As she pushed open the door, the familiar jingle of the bell above it provided a small comfort. She walked to the counter, where the bari
