Chapter 7: Passions Ignite
1248 Words
The bus hissed to a stop in front of the corner café, its brakes squealing in protest. Elise stepped off and pulled her sweater tighter against the morning breeze. Her reflection flashed in the café window — sleep-deprived eyes, coffee-colored curls a little messy from the walking sprint to avoid Jaxon, and that “please-don’t-talk-to-me” expression she’d perfected over the years.
Inside, Sprouts smelled like cinnamon and roasted beans. The familiar clinking of mugs and the low hum of conversation made it feel like a second home. And as always, Miley was already there, waving from their corner booth, two caramel lattes waiting.
“You’re late,” Miley teased, sliding one cup toward her.
“The bus was slow,” Elise said, collapsing into the seat.
“Uh-huh,” Miley smirked. “You’re never late. Did something happen on your way here?” She had this knowing look in her eye?”
“Trying to avoid a certain someone,” Miley probed.
She probably already got the info from the university board; a few phones were out at her outburst in the Literature and Human Behavior lecture.
Elise groaned. “You have no idea.”
“Oh, I think I do. So?” Miley leaned forward, her eyes dancing. “How was your first official partner meeting with Mr. Trouble himself?”
Elise let her head fall into her hands. “Exhausting. Infuriating. Confusing. I don’t even know where to start.”
“Start with the part where he smiled at you,” Miley said, grinning like she’d already won.
“He didn’t smile,” Elise said automatically. “He… smirked.”
“Same thing when it’s Jaxon.”
Elise glared at her, but the corner of her mouth twitched. “Miley, please. He’s not my type. He’s—”
“—hot?” Miley offered helpfully.
“—infuriating.”
Miley took a slow sip of her latte. “You mean he challenges you. That’s new.”
“Please. He’s reckless, cocky, and he thinks every situation can be solved with sarcasm. We’re stuck doing a thirty-page report together. Thirty, Miley.”
Her friend shrugged. “Maybe it’s the universe telling you to live a little. You’ve been dating David for what—two years? And the most exciting thing he’s done lately is draft a client agreement?”
Elise sighed, staring into her latte. David was steady. Predictable. Comfortable. Everything Jaxon wasn’t. “David’s reliable,” she said quietly.
Miley’s voice softened. “Yeah. But are you happy?”
Elise didn’t answer right away. The silence stretched, filled only by the hiss of the espresso machine and the smell of toasted bagels.
Finally, she said, “Happiness isn’t everything. Stability matters.”
Miley smiled knowingly. “You’re majoring in psychology, Elise. You know denial when you see it.”
Saturday – Three Days Later
The Silverlight Cinema food court buzzed with weekend chatter and the buttery scent of popcorn. Elise adjusted her tote bag, scanning the crowd until she spotted him — Jaxon, already sitting at a corner table, a book open in front of him.
She blinked. Is he actually early?
He looked up when she approached, dark hair slightly messy, a pencil tucked behind his ear. “Didn’t think you’d show,” he said with a half-smile.
“I said I would,” she replied, pulling out the chair opposite him. “I didn’t think you’d read.”
“I did,” he said, flipping the book closed. “All of it.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “Seriously?”
“Hey, I might be a trouble magnet,” he said, shrugging, “but I take school seriously. Plus, it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Kind of entertaining, actually.”
She opened her laptop, impressed by herself. “Okay, then. Let’s talk analysis.”
He leaned back. “Fine. The female lead is ridiculous. Who moves across the country for a guy she’s known three months? That’s not love, that’s statistical insanity.”
Elise looked up sharply. “She didn’t move for him, Jaxon. She moved for herself. She wanted a fresh start.”
He snorted. “Conveniently in the same city where he lives.”
“She took a chance,” Elise said, warming up. “It’s brave to follow your instincts, even when it doesn’t make logical sense.”
“Brave? No. Foolish. She ignored every red flag. He literally told her he didn’t believe in commitment.”
“She believed people can change.”
He leaned forward, eyes gleaming. “That’s where she messed up. People don’t change for love, Elise. They change when they want to.”
She crossed her arms. “You’re cynical.”
“And you’re naïve.”
They stared at each other, the tension electric.
Somewhere behind them, a popcorn machine hissed to life. Elise exhaled, turning back to her laptop. “What about the male lead then? Mr. ‘I’m emotionally unavailable but let me ruin your peace anyway.’ He’s not exactly a genius either.”
Jaxon laughed. “At least he owned who he was. He didn’t pretend to be something else just to make people like him.”
Elise’s tone softened. “Maybe he just didn’t know how to be vulnerable.”
His gaze flicked to her, unexpectedly thoughtful. “Or maybe he didn’t think he deserved to be.”
That silenced her. For a moment, they just looked at each other — the noise of the food court fading into a blur of voices and laughter.
“Wow,” she said finally. “Deep thought from the guy who called romance ‘statistical insanity.’”
He smirked. “I contain multitudes.”
Before she could respond, a familiar voice broke the tension.
“Well, look who’s alive!”
Sloan appeared beside the table, holding two cups of water and a tray of pretzels. Her silver hair was tied back in a messy bun, her smile bright and warm. “You’ve been at it for hours. Figured you could use a break.”
Elise blinked, glancing at the clock on her laptop. Three fifty-six. They’d been arguing for almost four hours.
“Time flies when you’re debating fictional disasters,” Jaxon said, grinning.
Sloan chuckled. “I can see that. Here, hydrate before your brain melts.”
“Thanks, Sloan,” Elise said, smiling up at her.
“No problem. Oh, by the way—new films came in yesterday. We’re getting early screenings next week.”
Elise’s eyes lit up instantly. “Seriously? Which ones?”
“Three indies and a new thriller. You’ll love the cinematography on the last one.”
“Can’t wait,” Elise said, her whole expression softening in a way Jaxon hadn’t seen before.
Sloan winked. “ Don’t stay too long, kiddo. And don’t bite each other's heads off with your opinions. I'm sure you can both find a middle ground for your report ’.
Once Sloan left, Jaxon leaned back. “You really like it here.”
“She lets me help out on weekends,” Elise said, smiling fondly. “I get to preview the films before anyone else.”
“Do you get paid for that?”
“Technically, yes,” she said with a shrug. “But I’d do it for free.”
He nodded slowly, watching her. “Figures. You talk about movies like they’re alive.”
She smiled. “Maybe they are,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.
- Writer
