WHERE HIS EYES LINGERED

ELIZABETH'S POV The sky darkened without warning. One moment, I was stepping out of Shaftan Café with a smile I could not seem to wipe off my face. The next... The heavens opened. Rain poured down so suddenly that everyone standing outside instinctively rushed for cover. I hurried beneath the nearest awning and watched the streets disappear behind a curtain of rain. A quiet laugh escaped me. "Well..." I murmured with mild amusement. "So much for getting home early." I leaned lightly against the wall, a soft glow of happiness still lingering inside me. I looked back at the café, still trying to convince myself that what had just happened inside was not a dream. I had gotten the job. I was actually going to work at Shaftan Café, and I could not wait to tell Grandma. I could already imagine the joy on her face when I walked through the front door and told her I would be starting tomorrow. The interview had not been nearly as terrifying as I expected. The manager had asked me a few questions, looked over my application, and then smiled. "We'll see you tomorrow, Elizabeth," he said with a welcoming nod. Tomorrow. I rolled the word around in my head, still unable to believe it. It was not just another job. It was hope. A small step toward saving enough money to go back to college. I wrapped my hands around my body, trying to calm the excitement bubbling inside me. Dropping out of college was not something my grandmother or I wanted. It was simply what life demanded when she could no longer afford my tuition. I kept telling myself it was only temporary, that I would find a job, save enough money, and make my way back. But "temporary" had a funny way of lasting much longer than expected. The odd jobs I picked up barely kept the bills paid. Still, I never stopped believing I would make it back. I folded my arms against the cool breeze as the rain continued to fall. People gathered beneath the awnings nearby, checking their watches and complaining under their breath. But I did not mind waiting. Not today. ...when someone stepped beneath my exact awning. I glanced up absentmindedly. Then I froze. Mike Junior....his name left out of my lips like a whisper. He was standing barely a few feet away. And for one completely ridiculous second, I genuinely thought I was imagining him. Mike Junior had been my crush for as long as I could remember. Ever since sophomore year. To me, he was the definition of perfection, the star basketball player, the wealthy guy everyone admired, the guy who somehow made confidence look effortless. I used to watch him from the bleachers whenever the basketball team practiced after classes. Just enough to know when he smiled after making the perfect shot, and how the entire gym seemed to come alive whenever he stepped onto the court. Girls always found reasons to be around him. Some flirted shamelessly, others practically threw themselves at him. Me? I admired him from a distance. Someone like Mike Junior belonged in a world that looked nothing like mine. I was just Elizabeth. Whenever I picked up shifts at the campus cafeteria, I would overhear girls talking about him. At first, it was about how he was dating some rich, rude brat. Hearing he had a girlfriend just reminded me that someone like him was never within my reach. Then, one afternoon, the conversations changed. "They broke up," one girl had said, her eyes widening with surprise. Rumors spread around campus faster than anyone could keep up, and everyone had their own version of the story. I never asked what happened. It was not my business. But I would be lying if I said a tiny part of me did not quietly wonder if maybe life had decided to give me something I had stopped allowing myself to dream about. The thought embarrassed me immediately, so I pushed it away. Some dreams were better left as dreams. And yet, fate clearly had other plans. He was not across the basketball court. Not from the bleachers. Not from a safe distance. For a moment, I just stood there staring at him as though the rain had faded into the background and the rest of the world had simply stopped moving. I could not believe he was actually standing right in front of me. After all the times I watched him from afar... After all the times I had convinced myself he probably did not even know I existed... Here he was.