The Story Of Us

Chapter one: Ava’s broken world.Ava stumbled out of the café, blinking away tears that refused to stay hidden. The cold wind stung her cheeks but it was nothing compared to the ache that clawed inside her chest. She did not even know where she was going , just away, away from Ethan's voice, away from the laughter that used to be hers but now echoes in mockery of her personality, away from everything that reminded her of who she used to be before she became invisible.Her phone buzzed, it was a message from Ethan: "YOU EMBARRASSED ME AGAIN AVA, DO NOT EVER SHOW UP AT MY OFFICE UNINVITED"She swallowed hard, her trembling fingers deleting the message before her heart could break again, surprisingly it is not even new, she had deleted hundreds of messages like that before, "you will never understand our world", "you will never fit in" all these and many more, every word had become a hammer striking her confidence until it was reduced to dust.By the time she reached her small apartment, she could barely hold back her sobs. The walls were thin, the lights dim and her old couch sagged in the middle but it was hers, her only refuge. She sat on the floor hugging her knees and whispering prayers to a God she was not even sure still listens." How did I become this version of myself"? she whispered to the empty room.Once upon a time, Eva had dreams, painting, traveling and writing stories that would inspire others but Ethan's world had swallowed her whole. He had taught her to speak with fear, dress a certain way, apologise for existing and she obeyed believing that love meant sacrifice.It was not until the night his mother had told her "people like you should know their place", that something in her began to die.She laid there for hours, the silence pressing heavily on her chest until her phone buzzed again but this time it was her best friend Grace, "Eva you have got to stop hiding and come help me out at the community bookstore tomorrow, it will be good for you miss"Ava chuckled but hesitated, staring at the text, she wanted to say no, to crawl back into her shell but maybe, just maybe, Grace was right, hiding will do her no good.The next morning, the small bookstore Ava woke up quite gloomy but headed for the bookstore which smelled of old papers and fresh coffee. Sunlight filtered through the large glass windows landing on roles of forgotten novels. Grace was already arranging the books when Ava walked in, wrapped in a grey scarf and wearing the softest smile she could manage to."You came," Grace exclaimed, rushing over to hug her.Ava nodded, her voice barely above a whisper. "I needed... a change of air".Grace studied her face, noticing the faint puffiness around her eye but choosing not to press. " Well air does not get fresher than books and coffee so you are in the right place, all thanks to me"Ava chuckled this time again and longer. As she reached for a stack of novels, the door opened and a tall man stepped in. His navy coat brushes against the wooden doorframe, as he held it open for an elderly woman behind him. There was something about the way he smiled, calm, warm and entirely disarming."Good morning", he greeted, his voice deep but kind.Grace waved. "Welcome! Looking for anything special?"Not really", he said, his gaze landing briefly on Ava. "Just trying to escape from the noise outside, " he said, still distracted .Ava looked up and their eyes met. His was grey, steady and searching. For a moment she froze, unsure what to do. He picked up a book from the shelf, The Art Of Becoming."Eva read this one"? he askedEva shook her head, "No but the title sounds....hopefully" she muttered."It is," he said, flipping through the pages."It's about rebuilding yourself after everything falls apart".Her breath caught in her throat."Does it work"? She asked quietly?He smiled again again, that gentle, knowing smile. "It depends on how badly you want to start over," he responded firmly.Grace excuses herself to take a call leaving the two of them alone, the man glanced at Ava again, "I'm Liam by the way"."Ava""Ava". He repeated her name slowly as if trying it out. "Nice to meet you eva' do you work here"?"Not really," she said. "Just helping out".He nodded, still flipping through the pages. "You seem like someone who reads between the lines".She tilted her head. "What do you mean"? "People who have been hurt read differently, they do not just read words, they feel them".Ava swallowed hard, "you talk like someone who has been hurt too".He chuckled softly, eyes distant. "Maybe. But that is a story for another day".For the first time in months. She felt something warm stirring inside her, something that was not pain, not love, not at least yet, it was the fact that she could comfortably have an open hearted conversation with a stranger without feeling like a stranger, and it scared her a bit because she did not know how to accept it.When Liam finally left, he turned at the door "you should read that book, page 87, that is my favourite part"Ava nodded as if not to care but as soon as he disappeared down the street, she opened the book.Page 87" Sometimes the right person does not rescue you, they remind you that you have all the ability and strength within to rescue yourself"".Tears filled her eyes. For once they were not tears of pain but release.That night Ava sat by her window, the city lights twinkling below like tiny miracles.She whispered into the darkness, "maybe, maybe this is where it begins again".She did not know that Liam was not just another stranger , he was one of the city's youngest CEOs, the same company that once rejected her internship because she "did not fit their image".Life was quietly rewriting her story, one coincidence at a time.Somewhere between brokenness and hope, Ava had just taken her first step toward becoming whole again.