35 ᴍᴍ ꜰɪʟᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴄᴏꜰꜰᴇᴇ I 🎀 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒸𝒾𝑒 𝒜𝒷𝓇𝒶𝓂𝓈 [𝑔𝓍𝑔] 🎀

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐅𝐢𝐯𝐞: 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 [𝐓𝐖]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜰɪᴠᴇ [ᴛᴡ]

After a few moments of silence, the tension slowly ebbed away. Charlie-Wren wiped her face one more time, the remnants of tears still clinging to her cheeks, but her breathing had calmed. Gracie stood beside her, patient and quiet, letting Charlie have the space to collect herself. The soft hum of the coffee shop's machinery was the only sound between them now, the shop dimly lit in the late hours.

Charlie took a deep breath and stepped back, glancing at the counter she'd been cleaning. "I need to finish locking up," she said, her voice still a little shaky but steadier than before.

Gracie gave a small nod, watching as Charlie moved around the shop, flipping off lights, and making sure everything was in place. She still moved mechanically, the routine of her work soothing her, though the exhaustion was plain on her face. "Are you sure you're okay to do all this by yourself?"

Charlie-Wren paused for a moment, her hand still on the door, before turning to Gracie. "Yeah," she said, her voice quieter. "I've done it a million times." But this time, the fatigue in her voice betrayed how much weight she was carrying. Gracie didn't argue. Instead, she walked over and stood by the door as Charlie locked it and turned off the last of the lights. Once the shop was dark, Charlie stood there for a second, staring at the key in the lock. She felt Gracie's presence beside her, and it gave her the strength to move forward. Turning the key, she locked the door with a definitive click. Before leaving through the back.

They stepped out into the cool night air, the quiet street nearly empty. The breeze felt good on Charlie's face, like it was washing away the heaviness of her breakdown inside the café. She let out a long sigh, her breath visible in the chilly night air, and looked down the street as if trying to figure out what to do next.

Gracie spoke first, her voice soft but clear. "My hotel's nearby," she said, glancing at Charlie. "Why don't we head there for a bit? You shouldn't be alone right now." Charlie hesitated, her eyes flicking up to meet Gracie's. There was a part of her that wanted to say no, that wanted to go back to her routine, back to pretending everything was fine. But she couldn't. Not anymore. And the idea of being around someone who understood, even just for a little while, sounded less terrifying than going back to her empty dorm.

"Okay," she finally whispered, her voice barely audible.

Gracie gave a small, relieved smile and gestured down the street. "Come on. It's just a short walk."

They walked in silence for a while, the sound of their footsteps echoing softly in the quiet night. The city around them felt different in the late hours—quieter, almost serene. Charlie felt the tension in her shoulders slowly begin to ease with each step, though her mind was still buzzing from everything that had happened. Gracie glanced over at Charlie-Wren occasionally, but she didn't push for conversation. She seemed to sense that Charlie needed the silence, and for that, Charlie was grateful.

After a few minutes, they reached Gracie's hotel, a small, boutique place nestled on a quieter street. Gracie held the door open for Charlie as they stepped inside, the warmth of the hotel lobby a welcome contrast to the cool night air. "Come on, my room's upstairs," Gracie said softly, leading the way to the elevator.

Charlie followed her, the hum of the elevator almost comforting as they ascended to the upper floors. The ride was short, and when they stepped out, Gracie led her down a quiet hallway until they reached a door near the end. She unlocked it, pushing the door open gently. "It's not much," she said with a small smile, "but it's better than the street." Charlie couldn't help but chuckle softly at that, the smallest bit of humour breaking through her exhaustion. "It's a lot better than my dorm," she admitted, stepping inside.