No Such Thing As A Hollywood Ending

chapter 3

Lucy sat in the corner of the coffee shop again, cradling her cup of coffee between her hands. The warm ceramic was a steady comfort, though her mind buzzed with uncertainty. Today, she had come prepared—she'd bought the coffee before Henry even arrived. No more surprises, no more awkward encounters. She wasn't going to let him pay for her coffee again. This time, she had a mission.

She wanted to understand why.

Why had Henry, someone she barely knew, gone out of his way to buy her coffee? It wasn't a grand gesture, but it had stuck with her in a way she couldn't shake. She wasn't used to people doing things for her without a reason. Her whole life, every interaction felt like it had some kind of unspoken price tag. So, why had Henry done it? What did he want?

She sipped her coffee, eyes scanning the room until they found him. There he was, near the counter, casually leaning against a table as he scrolled through his phone. He hadn't noticed her yet, and part of her was grateful for that. She didn't feel ready.

Her fingers tightened around the cup as a familiar nervousness crept in. It was just a question, she reminded herself. All she had to do was ask. But her mind wasn't cooperating. Every time she thought of walking up to him, her stomach twisted.

It's just Henry, she told herself. But her pulse quickened anyway.

Her eyes darted back to him, and she realized with a jolt that he was starting to gather his things, looking ready to leave. If she didn't act now, she'd lose her chance, and the question would keep nagging at her like it had been for days.

Before she could overthink it, Lucy stood up, her legs moving toward him almost without her permission. By the time she reached him, her heart was pounding, but she couldn't back out now. Not when she was this close.

Without thinking, she reached out and grabbed his arm, stopping him just before he could walk past her.

Henry turned, surprised, and when their eyes met, Lucy felt heat rising to her cheeks. She hadn't realized she was blushing until now, and the embarrassment only deepened when she saw the curious look in his eyes.

"Lucy?" Henry asked, looking genuinely puzzled. "What's up?"

Her mouth felt dry, and for a second, she regretted everything. But she couldn't just stand there in silence. She swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak.

"I... I wanted to ask you something," she began, her voice smaller than she intended. "About the other day. When you bought me that coffee."

Henry raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to continue. Lucy could feel her pulse in her ears. She wasn't sure why it felt like such a big deal to her, but it did.

"Why did you do that?" she blurted out, her grip on his arm loosening as she took a step back. "I mean, you barely know me. Why would you—?"

She trailed off, feeling foolish all of a sudden. It wasn't like he had done something life-altering, just bought her a coffee. But it mattered to her, and that confused her even more.

Henry tilted his head slightly, considering her question. For a moment, Lucy feared he'd just shrug it off, that he wouldn't even remember the gesture. But then he gave her a small smile, the kind that was almost imperceptible but genuine.

"You looked like you were having fun," he said simply.

Lucy blinked, caught off guard. "What?"

"You were writing, right?" he continued, his tone casual but sincere. "You looked like you were really into it, like you were enjoying yourself. I just thought... maybe I could do something nice. I didn't want to interrupt you, so I figured I'd just get you the coffee."

Lucy stared at him, speechless. Her brain struggled to process the idea. She'd been so wrapped up in her confusion, in her questions about what he wanted from her, that the simplicity of his answer knocked her off balance.

"You just... wanted to be nice?" she repeated, still unsure she'd heard him correctly.

Henry nodded, his expression calm. "Yeah. That's all."

Lucy felt her cheeks burn again, but this time it wasn't embarrassment. It was something else—something she didn't quite understand. She had been expecting some hidden agenda, some explanation that fit into the complicated web of social exchanges she was used to. But there was none. He had just been kind, and that was it.

She stood there for a moment, feeling silly for making such a big deal out of it, but also... relieved.

"Oh," she finally said, not sure what else to add.

Henry's smile widened a fraction, and he adjusted the strap of his bag. "Well, I should go. See you around, Lucy."

And just like that, he turned and walked out of the coffee shop, leaving Lucy standing there, her hand still tingling where she had grabbed his arm. She sat back down at her table, her coffee growing colder as she stared at the door, replaying the conversation in her mind.

Maybe things didn't always have to be complicated. Maybe, sometimes, people were just... kind.