A veil of hearts

•Cafe revelations•

8

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The cozy cafe buzzed with the afternoon crowd, the aroma of coffee and freshly baked pastries filling the air. Aina, Bella, and Noor sat at a corner table, their books and notes spread out before them, though their attention had long since drifted from their studies.

Noor stirred her latte absently, a mischievous glint in her eye. "Hey, have you guys noticed something weird about Professor Joshua lately?"

Aina's hand froze midway to her cup, her heart suddenly picking up pace. "What do you mean?" she asked, striving to keep her voice casual.

Noor leaned in conspiratorially. "Remember that day in the elevator? How he was facing the back when he should've been facing the front? Isn't that strange?"

The question hung in the air, and Aina felt a flush creeping up her neck. She vividly remembered that day - the confined space of the elevator, the inexplicable tension, the way Professor Joshua's eyes had seemed to linger on her. But surely, she had imagined it all?

Bella shrugged, reaching for a cookie. "He probably just zoned out for a while. Professors have a lot on their minds, you know."

Aina nodded, trying to appear nonchalant, but inside, she was a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. A part of her, a part she was almost afraid to acknowledge, thrilled at the idea that Professor Joshua might have been looking at her. The attention from this brilliant, handsome man was flattering, exhilarating even.

But another part of her, the cautious, practical part, was terrified. What if she was reading too much into it? What if she was imagining things that weren't there? And even if there was something, wasn't it wrong? He was her professor, after all.

"Yeah, you're probably right," Aina said, her voice slightly strained. "He must have been lost in thought about some complex scientific problem."

"Speaking of Professor Joshua," Bella piped up, "did you see how he kept moving around during the last lecture? I've never seen him so restless."

Noor giggled. "Maybe he had too much coffee that morning."

As her friends continued to chat and speculate about Professor Joshua's behavior, Aina found herself lost in her own thoughts. She recalled the numerous times during lectures when she had felt his gaze on her, the way his eyes seemed to soften when they met hers. Each memory sent a shiver down her spine, a mix of excitement and apprehension.

"Aina? Are you okay? You seem distracted," Bella asked, concern evident in her voice.

Aina startled, realizing she had been silent for too long. "Oh, I'm fine. Just... thinking about the upcoming exam."

But as the conversation moved on to other topics, Aina couldn't shake the internal struggle. The part of her that basked in Professor Joshua's attention wanted to believe there was something more to his behavior. It made her feel special, seen in a way she had never experienced before.

Yet the scared part of her whispered warnings. What if she was misinterpreting everything? What if acknowledging these feelings led to disappointment, or worse, compromised her academic integrity?

As they left the cafe, Aina's mind was still a battlefield of conflicting emotions. She was both eager and anxious about her next class with Professor Joshua, wondering if she would notice more signs of his attention, both hoping for and dreading the possibility.

Walking home, Aina realized that regardless of Professor Joshua's true feelings or intentions, her own emotions were becoming increasingly complex. The thrill of his attention and the fear of its implications were two sides of the same coin, and she was caught in the middle, unsure of which way to turn.

////

The afternoon sun was beginning to wane as Aina, Bella, and Noor left the cafe. Their conversation had drifted away from Professor Joshua, much to Aina's relief, but the conflicting emotions still churned within her.

As they walked down the bustling street, Bella suddenly turned to Aina, her face etched with concern. "Hey, Aina, I've been meaning to ask... how are your nightmares? Are they getting any better?"

The question caught Aina off guard, pulling her out of her reverie about Professor Joshua. She felt a familiar tightness in her chest as memories of her recent night terrors flashed through her mind.

"Oh, um..." Aina hesitated, unconsciously tugging at the sleeve of her sweater. "They're... still there. Some nights are better than others, I guess."

Noor's eyes widened with worry. "Are you still seeing Dr. Lisa? Maybe you should make another appointment."

Aina felt a surge of conflicting emotions. On one hand, she appreciated her friends' concern. On the other, she hated feeling vulnerable, hated the idea that she needed help to deal with something as simple as sleep.

"I... I've been thinking about it," Aina admitted, her voice barely above a whisper. "It's just... I don't want to be a burden, you know? And part of me hopes they'll just go away on their own."

Bella reached out, gently squeezing Aina's arm. "You're not a burden, Aina. We care about you, and so does Dr. Lisa. It's okay to need help sometimes."

Aina nodded, blinking back the tears that threatened to form. The nightmares were a stark reminder of the trauma she had experienced, of the gaps in her memory that still haunted her. They were also a secret she kept closely guarded, sharing only with her closest friends and Dr. Lisa.

As they continued walking, Aina's mind drifted back to Professor Joshua. Would he look at her differently if he knew about her struggles? Would the softness in his eyes turn to pity? The thought made her stomach churn.

"I'll think about making an appointment," Aina finally said, forcing a small smile. "Thanks for looking out for me, guys."

As they parted ways, Aina found herself alone with her thoughts once more. The excitement and fear surrounding Professor Joshua's attention now seemed trivial compared to the deeper issues she was grappling with. Yet, somehow, the memory of his kind eyes and gentle smile provided a strange comfort.

Heading home, Aina felt the weight of her secrets pressing down on her. The nightmares, her complicated feelings for her professor, the gaps in her past - it all swirled together in a confusing mess. She longed for a moment of peace, a respite from the constant turmoil in her mind.

As she reached her apartment, Aina made a decision. She would call Dr. Lisa tomorrow. Maybe talking through her fears - all of them - would help bring some clarity. And maybe, just maybe, she could find a way to reconcile the different parts of herself: the student, the trauma survivor, and the young woman with confusing feelings for her professor.

With a deep sigh, Aina unlocked her door, ready to face another night of uncertainty, but clinging to the hope that tomorrow might bring some answers.

AUTHOR's NOTE
Hello frosts....
Do tell me how you all felt.
Spoiler 🚨- Someone from the past is returning. So what will happen to someone from the present?
Bye bye...