Returning to her
785 Words
The rest of the morning passed in a strange, heated haze.
Ava tried to focus on her work, but she could still feel him. Even when she wasn’t looking, his gaze followed her like a physical touch ,heavy, deliberate, and impossible to ignore.
Every time she risked a glance toward his table, those intense dark eyes were already waiting. Calm. Unreadable. Completely in control.
It made heat bloom across her skin far too often.
His teammates were loud and chaotic, dominating half the café with laughter and stories about practice and last night’s parties. But he barely spoke. He simply listened, occasionally nodding, his powerful frame relaxed in the chair like he owned the entire space.
Mostly, he watched her.
And somehow, that quiet intensity felt louder than all their noise combined.
“Table six is still staring at you,” Mia whispered while steaming milk.
Ava nearly dropped the cup she was holding. “Stop.”
“I’m serious. That man has not taken his eyes off you once.”
“I literally do not care,” Ava muttered, even as her cheeks warmed again.
“You fixed your hair four times in the last ten minutes.”
“That means nothing.”
Mia gave her a knowing smirk. Ava ignored it, grabbed a tray, and headed toward their table with fresh drinks.
The second she approached, the weight of his attention settled over her like a blanket. Heavy. Intentional. Not uncomfortable ,just overwhelming.
One of his teammates smiled politely and moved his phone so she could set the tray down. “Thanks.”
“Of course,” Ava replied softly.
She tried not to look at him.
She failed.
Up close, he was devastating. Sharp jawline. Those striking dark eyes framed by long lashes. A faint tattoo peeked from beneath the collar of his black hoodie, and when he reached for his coffee, the muscles in his forearm flexed, veins standing out against inked skin.
Ava looked away quickly, heart racing.
“Careful,” Mia teased the moment Ava returned behind the counter. “You’re blushing again.”
“I’m overheated.”
“It’s October.”
“Then I’m dying.”
Mia laughed.
Nearly forty minutes later, the group finally stood to leave. Ava kept her eyes glued to the register as their deep voices filled the café again. The bell above the door chimed.
Only then could she breathe properly.
The rest of her shift dragged by in relative peace. No intense gaze tracking her every move. No devastatingly attractive basketball player making her hyper-aware of her own body.
By the time she got home that evening, exhaustion sat heavy in her bones. The sky had already turned dark.
The second she stepped inside the apartment, Lina looked up from the couch with a guilty smile.
“Oh no.”
Ava closed the door slowly. “You know exactly why I’m looking at you like this.”
Lina winced. “In my defense”
“There is no defense.”
“You’re right.”
“I didn’t fall asleep until almost five.”
“I said I was sorry!”
Ava dropped her bag onto the chair. “I know. I just need you and your future husband to suffer more quietly next time.”
Lina burst into laughter. “You’re so dramatic.”
“You sounded like a live podcast.”
“Oh my God.”
“I now know things about that man I can never unlearn.”
Lina laughed so hard she nearly slid off the couch. Ava tried to stay annoyed, but within seconds she was laughing too.
That was the problem with Lina ,she was impossible to stay mad at.
After chatting for a while, Ava escaped to her room. She ran a hot bath and sank into the warm water with a deep sigh, letting the steam curl around her as her aching muscles finally relaxed.
For the first time all day, her mind slowed down.
Unfortunately, it went straight back to him.
Those commanding eyes. The way he watched her like nothing else in the room mattered. The quiet confidence that seemed to radiate from him without effort.
Ava sank lower into the water.
It was ridiculous.
Guys like him didn’t notice girls like her. Not genuinely. He probably dated models and influencers ,women who belonged in his flashy world. Not tired baristas who counted headboard slams at 3 a.m. for entertainment.
Still…
Her stomach fluttered at the memory of his stare. Focused. Intentional. Almost possessive.
Ava quickly grabbed the shampoo, forcing the thoughts away.
He would probably never come back.
Her life was ordinary. Comfortable. Safe.
And ordinary had always been enough.
Until now.
- Writer
