Chapter 4: Questions Without Answers
854 Words
Amélie barely slept after waking from the dream.
She lay in bed staring at the ceiling, replaying every moment in her mind. The river, the glowing lights of the Eiffel Tower, and most importantly—Julien’s face.
This time, the dream had been clearer than ever.
She had finally seen him.
And it was exactly the same man she had met in the bookstore.
By the time morning light began to enter her room, Amélie had already decided one thing: she needed to see Julien again.
Maybe talking to him would make everything feel normal again. Maybe it was just a strange coincidence. After all, people sometimes dream about faces they have seen somewhere before.
But deep inside, she knew the truth felt far more mysterious than that.
After getting dressed, she stepped outside into the cool morning air of Paris. The city was slowly waking up again. Cafés were opening their doors, the smell of fresh bread filled the streets, and people hurried along the sidewalks on their way to work.
Normally, Amélie loved these peaceful mornings.
But today her mind was racing with questions.
When she finally reached the bookstore near Notre-Dame Cathedral, she unlocked the door and stepped inside. The familiar smell of books greeted her as always.
She began arranging the shelves and preparing for the day, but her eyes kept drifting toward the door.
Part of her wondered if Julien would come back.
Another part of her feared that he wouldn’t.
Hours passed slowly.
A few regular customers came and left, and the soft bell above the door rang several times. But none of them were him.
By early afternoon, Amélie began to feel a little foolish for waiting.
“Why would he come back?” she whispered quietly while stacking a pile of novels.
Just as she said those words, the bell above the door rang again.
Amélie looked up.
And there he was.
Julien stepped inside the bookstore, just like the day before. His calm expression softened slightly when he saw her standing behind the counter.
For a moment, Amélie forgot how to breathe.
He walked slowly toward her.
“Good afternoon, Amélie,” he said warmly.
She tried to remain calm, though her heart was beating fast.
“Good afternoon,” she replied.
Julien placed the novel she had given him on the counter.
“I finished the book,” he said with a small smile.
“So quickly?” Amélie asked, surprised.
“It was a good story,” he replied. “Two people meeting because destiny brought them together.”
Amélie felt a small shiver run through her.
The word destiny again.
She hesitated for a moment before finally asking the question that had been troubling her all night.
“Julien… can I ask you something strange?”
He looked at her curiously but nodded.
“Of course.”
Amélie took a small breath.
“Have you ever felt like you’ve seen someone before… even when you know you haven’t?”
Julien studied her face carefully, as if he were trying to understand what she meant.
Then he spoke slowly.
“Yes,” he said.
Amélie’s heart skipped.
“You have?” she asked.
Julien nodded.
“In fact,” he said quietly, “I had that exact feeling yesterday when I saw you.”
Amélie stared at him in shock.
“You mean…?”
“It felt like I already knew you,” Julien continued. “Like I had seen you somewhere before.”
Amélie’s hands tightened slightly on the edge of the counter.
Her voice dropped to a whisper.
“In a dream?”
Julien did not answer immediately.
For a brief moment, surprise flashed across his face.
“How did you know that?” he asked softly.
Amélie felt the room grow strangely quiet around them.
“Because…” she said slowly, “I’ve been dreaming about you for weeks.”
Neither of them spoke.
The soft ticking of a clock on the wall filled the silence.
Julien looked genuinely stunned.
“You’ve seen me in your dreams?” he asked.
Amélie nodded nervously.
“Near the river,” she said. “With the lights of the Eiffel Tower in the distance.”
Julien’s expression changed completely.
For a moment, he looked almost speechless.
Then he leaned slightly closer to her and spoke in a quiet voice.
“Amélie… I didn’t want to say anything yesterday because I thought it would sound impossible.”
Her heart pounded.
“But what?” she asked.
Julien looked directly into her eyes.
“I’ve been having the same dream.”
Amélie felt the ground beneath her confidence disappear.
“The same dream?” she repeated.
Julien nodded slowly.
“Yes,” he said.
“By the river… in Paris.”
The two of them stared at each other in disbelief.
Neither of them could explain what was happening.
But one thing had become clear.
The dreams were not just hers.
And somehow, in the vast and romantic city of Paris, their lives had already been connected long before they met in the real world.
- Writer
