Unwritten Steps

Chapter 8: Cracks in the Armor

Aurora's days had started to follow a pattern—wake up, dance, check Blackbird Coffee for Finn, repeat. She hated how much she looked forward to seeing him, and she hated even more when he wasn't there.

It had been a week since she'd last seen him. A week of empty coffee shop corners and unanswered questions. By the eighth day, she told herself to stop caring.

But when she walked into Blackbird on a rainy Tuesday afternoon, there he was, leaning against the counter like nothing had happened.

"You're late," Aurora said as she approached his table, her voice sharper than she intended.

Finn looked up, his smirk fading slightly. "Miss me, Princess?"

"Don't call me that," she snapped, setting her latte on the table. She didn't sit down. "Where have you been?"

"Dealing with stuff," Finn said, his tone light but his eyes serious. "Why? Did you miss me?"

Aurora folded her arms, refusing to give him the satisfaction of an answer.

Finn sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I didn't mean to disappear. Sometimes life gets... complicated."

Aurora studied him, noticing for the first time how tired he looked. "Complicated how?"

"The kind of complicated I don't talk about in coffee shops," he said with a weak smile. "But I'm here now. And I'm guessing you're here to talk about that showcase?"

Aurora blinked, thrown by the sudden change in topic. "How did you—"

Finn tapped his temple. "I'm observant. Plus, Rachel mentioned it the last time I ran into her."

Aurora rolled her eyes but couldn't help the small smile tugging at her lips. "Fine. Yes. I'm auditioning."

Finn leaned forward, his grin returning. "Good. I can't wait to see you kill it."

His confidence in her felt like a warm hug, even if she didn't want to admit it.