We Shall Meet Again

Part 30

Xavier sighed deeply, feeling the weight of the world press against his chest as he completed his final task of the day. The office, usually buzzing with life, was now eerily quiet, with only the hum of the distant city faintly audible through the thick walls. The soft glow of his laptop screen was the only light left in the room, casting long, lonely shadows across his desk. The emptiness around him felt heavier tonight, almost suffocating. As CEO, the relentless pace of his life—meetings, decisions that affected hundreds—had become second nature, but today, it all felt like too much.

He rubbed his temples, feeling the dull ache of fatigue settle in. All he wanted now was to escape. To feel the cool night air on his face. To sit in silence, just him, the stars, and Starlight, his faithful companion. A familiar pull drew him to the old, forgotten bus he had discovered long ago, hidden away from the relentless pulse of the city. There, he could find peace—or so he hoped.

But tonight, a thought tugged at him. Alice.

A part of him hoped she wouldn't come.

And yet, another part—a deeper, quieter part of him—wanted her to.

He pushed the thought away, shaking his head. The notion that her presence, of all things, could ease his restlessness felt absurd. With a sigh, Xavier stood, the sharp click of his shoes echoing through the empty office as he made his way to the parking garage. The cool metal of his car door felt grounding as he slid into the driver's seat. The engine's low, familiar purr hummed beneath him as he steered out into the city, its shimmering lights growing distant in the rearview mirror. The rhythmic hum of the tires on the pavement soon became a lullaby, almost hypnotic in its steadiness, but Xavier's thoughts refused to quiet.

No matter how hard he tried, Alice's face kept rising to the surface of his mind—her wide, knowing eyes, the way her lips would curve into a soft smile, too familiar and too similar to Sabrina's. The sensation was unnerving, and yet, impossible to shake.

Stop it, he told himself, gripping the steering wheel tighter, as if he could steer his mind back on course. But the thought of Alice clung to him like fog, thick and inescapable, clouding his focus.

Then something unexpected broke through the haze—a softly lit bakery, nestled between the rows of shops he had driven by countless times. It glowed warmly in the cool evening, like an invitation. Had it always been there? He couldn't remember noticing it before. His instincts told him to keep driving. Stick to the plan. The bus, the stars, Starlight. But something pulled him toward that bakery, like an invisible thread he couldn't see but couldn't resist.

Before he knew it, his foot eased off the gas, and he found himself parking in front of the small shop. The engine clicked as it cooled, the evening air thick with the scent of fresh bread and something sweet. He lingered in the driver's seat for a moment, staring at the bakery's softly glowing sign, wondering why he had stopped. He wasn't supposed to be here.

But still, his body moved before his mind could catch up. The gentle chime of the doorbell greeted him as he stepped inside, the scent of sugar and warmth wrapping around him like a comforting embrace. Inside, the world felt slower, softer, as if time had loosened its grip.

And there, behind the counter, was Alice.

Her back was turned, her hands carefully arranging the last of her pastries. For a moment, Xavier's breath hitched in his throat, his heart pounding in his chest. She looked so much like Sabrina that it hurt. The way her hair fell over her shoulder, the quiet grace in her movements—it was as if he had been thrust into a memory he wasn't ready to relive.

How is she always there? he thought, feeling his pulse quicken, confusion and longing tangling inside him.

Just as he tried to pull himself together, Alice turned, and their eyes met. The surprise on her face mirrored his for just a heartbeat before she masked it with a soft smile. Her voice, delicate and familiar, broke the quiet as she spoke.

"Welcome to my bakery," she said, her tone warm but with that haunting familiarity that set Xavier's mind on edge. "I'm afraid I only have one brownie left."

The words barely registered. His mind was still racing, trying to process the feelings swirling beneath the surface. But he forced himself to respond, his voice calm despite the storm inside.

"That's fine," he said, barely recognizing his own voice. "I'll take it."

As Alice turned to wrap the brownie, Xavier's gaze followed her, every movement, every subtle detail, stirring something deep and unspoken. Her hands moved with such familiarity, a rhythm he had known before—with Sabrina. It was as if he had stepped into a past that wasn't his but somehow still was.

When she handed him the package, their fingers brushed for the briefest of moments, but the sensation jolted through him like electricity. His breath caught. It was such a simple touch, fleeting, but it left him rattled. He quickly masked his reaction, retreating behind the practiced calm he wore in moments like these.

"Thank you," he said, his voice steady, though inside, everything was spiraling. Without another word, he turned and left, the cool night air hitting his face as he stepped back outside. The warmth of the bakery clung to his skin, but the memory of that brief touch still hummed beneath the surface, electric and unsettling.

Sitting in his car, Xavier stared at his hand—the one that had brushed against Alice's. His fingers tingled, as if the touch had left an invisible mark. What the hell was that? he wondered, still dazed by the sensation.

The drive back was quiet, but his mind was anything but. The road stretched out before him, dark and empty, but all he could think about was the confusion swirling inside him—about Alice, about Sabrina, about that fleeting touch.

When he finally pulled up to his apartment, Starlight was there, waiting for him at the door. Her soft meow broke through the haze of his thoughts as she leaped into his arms, her small body warm against his chest. He held her close for a moment, letting the familiar feel of her purring soothe his scattered mind.

"Hello, Starlight," he murmured, pressing his face into her soft fur. She nuzzled him affectionately, her steady presence a welcome balm to his unsettled thoughts.

Later, as he drove toward the bus with Starlight by his side and the brownie resting on the seat next to him, the stars above him glistened like distant memories. The bus was a refuge, and as he climbed aboard, the familiar creak of its floorboards beneath his feet brought a sense of calm. The sky stretched endlessly above, a canvas of twinkling lights that soothed the chaos within.

He sat down, Starlight curling up beside him, and for a moment, the quiet of the night wrapped around him like a blanket. The stars blinked overhead, vast and unchanging, while he took a bite of the brownie. The rich, sweet taste flooded his senses, and his heart tightened in his chest. It tastes like Sabrina's, he thought, his voice no more than a whisper in the empty bus. The familiarity was both comforting and painful.

He finished the brownie slowly, savoring it as the memories it stirred washed over him. The past felt close, too close, like it had been waiting all this time just beneath the surface.

Then, a sound—a soft, deliberate crunch of footsteps on gravel. His heart leaped, and he turned around.

Alice stood at the entrance of the bus, the night wind stirring her hair as it moved gently around her. The stars above cast a faint glow, illuminating the scene like something out of a dream. Time seemed to slow, the world narrowing down to just the two of them, standing beneath the vast sky.

For a moment, neither of them spoke, the quiet night air thick with unspoken words. The wind blew softly, carrying with it a sense of anticipation, as if the universe itself had conspired to bring them here, in this moment, under the stars.