Chapter Three: The Way He Sees Me
1205 Words
The café was quiet.
Not empty—just calm enough for thoughts to get loud.
Arielle sat by the window, her fingers wrapped around a cup of coffee that had long gone cold. She hadn’t taken a single sip.
Her mind wasn’t here.
It was still in that house.
Still in that moment.
Still on him.
“It’s not nothing.”
She closed her eyes briefly.
“Then what is it…?” she whispered under her breath.
“A question you’re afraid to answer?”
Her eyes opened instantly.
That voice—
Not his.
Different.
Smoother. Softer. Certain.
Arielle looked up.
And there he was.
Tall. Composed. Effortlessly put together, like he belonged anywhere he stood. His gaze was steady—not invasive, not cold… just aware.
Like he saw more than he should.
“I’m sorry?” she said, slightly caught off guard.
He smiled faintly, pulling out the chair across from her without asking.
“Your expression,” he said calmly. “You look like someone who’s arguing with herself.”
Arielle blinked.
Most people would’ve apologized. Or laughed it off.
But him?
He just… said it.
“I didn’t realize it was that obvious,” she replied quietly.
“It isn’t,” he said. “Not to everyone.”
Something about the way he said it made her pause.
“Then why to you?”
He leaned back slightly, studying her—not in a way that made her uncomfortable, but in a way that felt… intentional.
“Because you don’t hide it well,” he said simply.
“Just enough for people who aren’t paying attention.”
Arielle let out a soft breath.
“Lucky me,” she murmured.
He smiled again—this time, just a little more.
“Or unlucky. Depends on how you see it.”
Silence fell between them.
But it wasn’t heavy like before.
It didn’t suffocate.
It… settled.
“Do you always sit with strangers and analyze them?” she asked after a moment.
“Only the interesting ones.”
That caught her off guard.
“Interesting?” she repeated.
“You look like someone who has a lot to say,” he said, his voice quieter now. “But chooses not to.”
Her fingers tightened slightly around the cup.
That again.
That truth she kept trying to avoid.
“You don’t even know me,” she said, her tone softer now—but less defensive.
“No,” he agreed. “But I can tell when someone is holding their breath emotionally.”
Arielle froze.
Because that—
That was exactly what it felt like.
Like she had been holding something in for so long… she forgot how to let it out.
“…who are you?” she asked quietly.
He extended his hand, calm and sure.
“Luca.”
She hesitated for a second… then placed her hand in his.
“Arielle.”
His grip was warm.
Steady.
Real.
“Nice to meet you, Arielle,” he said.
And for some reason…
It felt like he meant more than just those words.
⸻
Across the street—
A black car idled quietly.
Inside, Kael sat in the back seat, his gaze fixed through the tinted window.
On her.
And him.
His expression didn’t change.
But his hand clenched slightly against his knee.
“Sir?” the driver asked cautiously. “Should we—”
“Wait.”
One word.
Sharp.
Controlled.
Dangerously calm.
Kael’s eyes didn’t leave them.
He watched the way Arielle leaned forward slightly.
The way she listened.
The way her expression softened in a way he had never seen directed at him.
And the way that man—
Luca—
looked at her.
Like he understood something Kael couldn’t reach.
His jaw tightened.
“Who is he…?” Kael muttered under his breath.
But deep down—
He wasn’t asking out of curiosity.
He was asking because of something unfamiliar.
Something uncomfortable.
Something he didn’t want to name.
⸻
Back inside the café—
“I should go,” Arielle said, standing up slowly.
Luca nodded, not stopping her.
But his eyes stayed on her.
“Will I see you again?” he asked.
She hesitated.
Old her would’ve said no.
Closed off. Distant. Safe.
But today…
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
Honest.
For once.
Luca smiled slightly.
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
Arielle shook her head softly, almost smiling despite herself.
And just like that—
She walked away.
⸻
Outside, the air felt different.
Lighter.
Or maybe…
She just felt different.
For the first time in a long time—
Someone had seen her.
Not the quiet version.
Not the distant version.
Her.
And it scared her.
Because if someone else could see her so clearly…
Then why couldn’t he?
The car door opened.
Arielle froze.
Kael stepped out.
Their eyes met instantly.
And just like that—
The air shifted again.
Heavy. Charged. Unavoidable.
“You look busy,” Kael said, his tone unreadable.
Arielle frowned slightly. “What are you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing.”
“I was just—”
“With him?” he cut in.
Her chest tightened.
There it was.
That edge in his voice.
That thing he never showed—
Until now.
“Yes,” she said, holding his gaze.
Kael’s eyes darkened slightly.
“And who is he?”
Arielle hesitated.
Not because she didn’t know.
But because—
For once…
She didn’t feel like explaining herself.
“Does it matter?” she asked quietly.
That hit.
Hard.
Kael took a step closer.
“It does if he’s sitting across from you like he knows you.”
Her heart started beating faster.
“And what if he does?” she replied, her voice steady—but soft.
Silence.
Sharp. Tense. Dangerous.
Kael stared at her like he was trying to figure something out.
Or maybe…
Trying to understand something he had already lost.
“You don’t let people in,” he said slowly.
“I guess you’re not ‘people’ then,” she replied.
The words slipped out before she could stop them.
And the moment they did—
Everything changed.
Because now…
It wasn’t just silence between them anymore.
It was truth.
Kael’s expression shifted—just slightly.
Hurt.
Barely visible.
But there.
“…I see,” he said quietly.
Arielle’s chest tightened instantly.
Because she didn’t mean it like that.
Or maybe…
She did.
“I didn’t—”
“Don’t,” he cut in softly.
Not cold.
Not angry.
Just…
tired.
He stepped back, putting distance between them.
“If that’s how you feel… then I won’t ask again.”
And just like that—
He turned.
And walked away.
Arielle stood there.
Frozen.
Her heart racing.
Her thoughts crashing into each other.
Because for the first time—
She had said something real.
And instead of fixing things…
It made everything worse.
Across the street, Luca watched quietly.
Not interfering.
Not interrupting.
Just observing.
And understanding.
Because he saw it clearly now—
This wasn’t just complicated.
It was unfinished.
And maybe…
He had just stepped into something that was never truly over.
- Writer
