Melted by you.

Chapter 8:The Place Rose Chose

The air outside school felt different after classes ended.

Less noisy.

Less controlled.

More real.

Rose Williams walked ahead with confidence, pulling Anna Fred gently along like she already knew Anna would follow.

Anna did not resist.

But she was still curious.

“Are you going to tell me where we are going now?” Anna asked softly.

Rose smiled. “Not yet.”

Anna sighed quietly. “That is not very comforting.”

Rose laughed lightly. “That is why it will be fun.”

Behind them, Alexander walked with his hands in his pockets.

Hardin Smith was beside him, silent as usual.

“You are following them again,” Alexander said.

“I am not following,” Hardin replied.

Alexander smirked. “You are just going in the same direction by coincidence every time?”

Hardin did not answer.

That was enough answer for Alexander.

They stopped in front of a small open area not far from school.

It was not a fancy place.

Not crowded.

Just calm.

A quiet café near the street with trees shading the sides.

Rose turned around proudly. “We are here.”

Anna looked around. “A café?”

“Yes,” Rose said. “Normal people eat and talk here.”

Alexander laughed softly behind them. “She means unlike us.”

Hardin ignored him.

But his eyes stayed on Anna for a second longer than usual.

They entered together.

The place was warm.

Soft music played in the background.

It was not loud enough to disturb thoughts.

Rose immediately pulled Anna to a seat.

“Sit here,” she said.

Anna obeyed slowly.

Alexander sat opposite Rose without hesitation.

Hardin remained standing for a second.

Then sat slightly apart from everyone else.

Not too close.

Not too far.

Just his usual distance.

For a moment, there was silence.

Then Rose clapped lightly. “Okay, everyone relax.”

Alexander leaned back. “That is your idea of relaxing?”

“Yes,” Rose replied confidently.

Anna looked around the table.

It felt strange.

Different from school.

Different from home.

Different from anything she was used to.

“What do you want to eat?” Rose asked Anna.

Anna blinked. “I am not sure.”

“Then I will choose for you,” Rose said immediately.

Anna hesitated. “That feels dangerous.”

Rose laughed. “Trust me.”

Across the table, Alexander looked at Hardin. “You are unusually quiet even for you.”

Hardin replied without looking up. “There is nothing to say.”

Alexander smiled slightly. “There is always something to say. You just avoid it.”

Hardin did not respond.

But his eyes briefly shifted.

To Anna.

She was listening to Rose, smiling slightly at something she said.

It was small.

But noticeable.

“So,” Rose said suddenly, leaning forward. “Anna, do you like school so far?”

Anna paused. “It is… different.”

“Different good or different bad?” Alexander asked immediately.

Anna thought for a moment. “Different… new.”

Rose nodded approvingly. “That is the correct answer.”

Hardin finally spoke.

“You adjust quickly,” he said.

Anna looked at him.

“…I try to.”

A short pause followed.

Not uncomfortable.

Just careful.

Outside the café window, the sky was beginning to dim slightly.

Soft light filled the room.

Rose leaned back in her chair. “This is better than sitting in class all day.”

Alexander nodded. “For once, I agree.”

Anna looked down at her hands briefly.

Then asked softly, “Do you all always come here together?”

Rose and Alexander exchanged a glance.

“Sometimes,” Rose said.

Alexander added, “When she drags me.”

Rose smiled. “When he complains, it means he likes it.”

Hardin did not speak.

But he was listening.

More than usual.

At some point, Rose stood up. “I will get something from the counter.”

She grabbed Alexander’s arm immediately. “Come with me.”

“Why me?” Alexander protested.

“Because you talk too much.”

They both walked away, still arguing lightly.

Silence remained at the table.

Just Hardin and Anna.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The background noise of the café filled the space between them.

But it did not feel heavy.

Just present.

“You do not talk much,” Anna said softly.

Hardin looked at her. “…Neither do you.”

Anna nodded slightly. “That is true.”

A pause.

Then she added, “But I think you observe more than you speak.”

Hardin’s eyes stayed on her.

“…People usually do not notice that,” he said.

Anna gave a small, calm smile. “I notice small things.”

That sentence stayed in the air longer than expected.

Hardin leaned back slightly.

Not relaxed.

Not tense.

Just there.

“You should not,” he said quietly.

Anna tilted her head. “Why not?”

He did not answer immediately.

Because he did not have a simple answer.

Across the café, Rose glanced back briefly.

She smiled faintly when she saw them talking.

Then turned away again.

The moment stretched.

Not awkward.

Just slowly becoming something neither of them named.

And for the first time outside school…

Hardin did not feel like leaving immediately.