The Unspoken Words

The encounter

Chapter 1: The Encounter

It was a rainy afternoon when Lily first saw him.

She had been running late for her shift at the coffee shop, the sky already dark with clouds and a chill in the air. The streets of the city had emptied, save for a few stray pedestrians, their umbrellas flicking open against the sudden downpour. Lily ducked under the awning of a bookstore to avoid getting soaked, fidgeting with the strap of her bag.

That’s when she noticed him. A figure standing a few feet away, hunched beneath a black hoodie, the rain not seeming to bother him. He was staring at a book in his hands, but his eyes were distant, as if he was somewhere far away. His tousled hair framed his face in a way that made him look effortlessly handsome, like he had just walked out of a dream.

Something about the moment felt surreal, like they were the only two people in the world.

"Excuse me," she called out, her voice uncertain. He turned his head slowly, his eyes meeting hers for a split second before looking away. It was as if he had just woken from a trance.

He hesitated before replying, “Yeah?”

She swallowed her nerves. “Do you... need help with that book? I know this place like the back of my hand.”

He glanced at the book in his hands—The Great Gatsby—then back to her. A small, almost imperceptible smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Actually... no, I think I know exactly what I’m looking for."

Lily felt a strange warmth in her chest, the sudden flutter of something she couldn't quite name. There was a quiet connection, a pull between them that neither could explain. But before she could say anything else, he stepped away, disappearing into the rain.