A Symphony of Hearts

12: Brewing Confusion

The small coffee shop was warm and inviting, a stark contrast to the chilly evening outside. Elena and Luca found a cozy corner by the window, sipping their drinks as they chatted about the rehearsal, music, and everything in between. Luca had a way of making everything seem so easy, so light, and Elena found herself relaxing more with every passing minute.

But even as she laughed at Luca's stories, her thoughts kept drifting back to Ethan. His intensity, his seriousness—it was like a dark cloud that hovered over her, even when he wasn't around. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something unfinished between them, something that needed to be addressed. But she had no idea how to do it.

"So," Luca said, breaking into her thoughts, "how do you like working with Ethan? He's pretty intense, right?"

Elena blinked, startled by the question. She hadn't expected Luca to bring up Ethan, especially not in such a casual way. "Yeah, he's... intense," she agreed, choosing her words carefully. "But he's also brilliant. You can tell he really cares about the music."

Luca nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "He's definitely one of the best conductors I've worked with. But he's also kind of hard to read, don't you think?"

Elena couldn't help but smile at that. "Yeah, you could say that. He keeps everything close to the chest."

"Not like me, huh?" Luca grinned, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

Elena laughed, grateful for Luca's ability to lighten the mood. "No, not like you at all. You're an open book."

"Exactly," Luca said, leaning back in his chair. "What you see is what you get."

Elena appreciated that about Luca. He was honest, straightforward, and never left her guessing. But as much as she valued that quality, she couldn't help but wonder if it was Ethan's mystery, his complexity, that drew her in.

And that realization scared her.