Unspoken

Chapter 9

Four days passed in a blur of study sessions, work shifts, and messages exchanged between each other. The connection between them had grown even stronger. Their time apart had been filled with quiet anticipation for when they'd get to see each other again.

The late afternoon sunlight filtered through the coffee shop windows, casting a warm glow on the wooden tables. Mia sat at a small corner table, textbooks open in front of her as she tried to focus on her homework. It was one of those days when her thoughts kept drifting—especially when she noticed Jake walking in.

He didn't see her at first, his eyes scanning the room until they landed on her. Mia smiled as he made his way over, a familiar notebook and a pencil in hand. He slid into the seat across from her, his usual grin on his face.

"Mind if I join you?" he asked.

Mia gave him an amused look and signed back, "You're already sitting down."

Jake chuckled as Mia glanced back at her work, but her attention kept drifting to him. Without a word, Jake began sketching, his hand moving with practiced ease. Mia tried to get back to her textbook, but it was hard not to sneak peeks at the quiet intensity in his expressions. She had always known Jake was a good artist, but there was something about watching him sketch—it was as though he became more focused, more himself, when he drew.

He wasn't drawing anything specific, just a few abstract lines and shapes at first. After a few minutes, he looked up at her and raised an eyebrow, as if asking for permission.

Mia smiled a knowing look on her face and signed, "You're going to draw me, aren't you?"

Jake grinned and signed back, "I was thinking about it. Do you mind?"

Mia shook her head, amused. "Go ahead. But I'm definitely not the most interesting thing that you could draw here."

He smiled before going back to his drawing, but this time his eyes lingered on her face. She wasn't sure if he was drawing her or just using her as inspiration, but she couldn't help but feel a little self-conscious under his gaze. He moved his pencil across the page quickly, and Mia couldn't help but wonder what he was capturing. The lines and shading seemed to flow from him effortlessly, as if the pencil knew exactly where it was supposed to go.

She stopped trying to focus on her homework entirely, watching Jake's hand as he sketched. The more he drew, the more she felt like she was being seen in a new way—like Jake was capturing a part of her that wasn't obvious, something subtle that wasn't immediately noticed. It was a quiet compliment, but one that made her heart beat a little faster.

"Done yet?" Mia signed after a few minutes, a playful smile on her face.

Jake looked up, his eyes sparkling. He lifted the sketchbook to show her, and Mia's breath caught in her throat. It was her—her face, her expression, even the way her hair fell around her shoulders. It was raw and real, with a little more of her vulnerability than she was used to seeing.

"It's amazing," Mia signed. She had no words for the feeling swirling inside her—a mix of warmth, gratitude, and something else she couldn't quite place.

Jake smiled softly, clearly proud of his work. "You're easy to draw," he signed with a wink. "You've got a good face for it."

Mia laughed silently, rolling her eyes. "You're cheesy."

"True," Jake signed with a grin. "But at least I'm charming."

She smiled back, feeling the weight of his words in a way she hadn't expected. They sat in comfortable silence for the next little while, each immersed in their work until he had to leave.