Hosie~ One Shots

When Paths Collide

The restaurant was cozy, bathed in the golden glow of soft hanging lights. Wooden tables were scattered around, each adorned with tiny pots of succulents and delicate votive candles. Hope took a sip of her sparkling water and glanced across the table at Landon Kirby, the man she had met a few nights ago at the club. She had hoped—desperately—that tonight would be different, that perhaps this date would feel like something real.

Landon ran a hand through his tousled hair, offering her a lopsided smile that she guessed was meant to be charming. "So," he said, tapping his fingers on the table, "what kind of music are you into?"

Hope hesitated. It was an innocent question, one that had been asked of her countless times, but it still managed to feel loaded. "I like... a bit of everything," she answered. "Rock, alternative, sometimes classical."

"Ah, classical," Landon repeated, chuckling softly, as if the word itself amused him. "That's, like, Mozart and Beethoven, right?"

Hope suppressed a smile, more from awkwardness than humor. "Yeah, exactly. I listen to it sometimes when I'm painting or reading. It helps me think."

Landon nodded, though the confusion in his eyes was hard to miss. "Painting, huh? That's cool. I don't know much about art, but I've been to some museums. You ever paint, like, landscapes or... abstract stuff?"

"Mostly abstract," Hope replied, fidgeting with her napkin. Her voice felt heavy, forced. "But, um, enough about me. What about you? Any hobbies?"

"Video games," he said quickly, his eyes lighting up. "I'm a total gamer. I can spend hours playing."

Hope's smile strained. She was grateful he was enthusiastic about something, but there it was again—that sinking feeling she couldn't quite shake. It felt like she was grasping for a thread, a connection that wasn't there. "What do you play?" she asked, trying to sound interested.

"Everything," he replied. "RPGs, shooters... oh, and I'm obsessed with this new virtual reality game. It's amazing—you put on the headset, and you're in this completely different world." He leaned forward, his voice gaining momentum. "Like, I was fighting dragons last night. It felt so real."

Hope nodded, but she found herself staring at the melting candle wax instead of his face. Dragons and virtual worlds—sure, they were thrilling, but her reality felt more grounded, more complicated. She needed something more than shared excitement over an imaginary adventure.

"That's... cool," she murmured. "Sounds like it's really immersive."

"Totally," Landon said, but then he paused, his smile faltering. "You don't really get it, do you?" he asked, sounding almost disappointed.

Hope looked up, startled. "No, it's not that," she said, trying to sound reassuring. "It's just... I guess we're into different things."

Landon leaned back in his chair, his gaze flickering to the clock on the wall. The energy between them shifted, heavy and unspoken. He rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess we are," he said, sounding resigned.

They both fell silent, the kind of silence that had no easy exit. Hope felt a pang of guilt for not feeling more, for not connecting the way she had wanted to. Yet, she couldn't pretend, not when her heart knew better.

Landon gave her a faint smile. "I guess not every date has to be perfect, huh?"

Hope met his eyes and returned the smile, grateful for the honesty. "Yeah," she agreed. "At least we tried."

And with that, she knew it was time to call it a night.

The evening air was cool, carrying the scent of fallen leaves and fresh rain. Hope pulled her jacket closer around her shoulders as she walked down the dimly lit street, streetlights flickering to life one by one. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she saw Lizzie's name flash across the screen. She took a deep breath and answered.