Lanterns in the Rain

Chapter Ten: Shifting Grounds

The days that followed were a mix of silence and small conversations. Rae found herself watching Henry more often than she cared to admit. At first, she tried to ignore it, burying her nose in her books, focusing on her usual solitary routine. But Henry's presence lingered like a quiet hum in the background of everything. 

It wasn't just his smile anymore, though that was enough to make her stomach flutter. It was the way he would glance at her during class, or how he would sit beside her in the library, quietly working, but never too far away. Like a tether she hadn't asked for, but couldn't quite bring herself to sever. 

One afternoon, a week after their conversation in the library, Rae found herself standing at the door to the classroom just before the bell rang. Her fingers tapped against the worn edge of her desk as she waited for the final stragglers to settle into their seats. 

Henry was one of the last to walk in, his usual easy gait making him stand out among the crowd. He waved at her as he passed, his grin contagious even from a distance. Rae couldn't help but return the wave, albeit more out of instinct than anything else. 

But it was the feeling that lingered after he sat down—close enough to her, yet not too close—that she couldn't shake. Something was changing, even if she didn't fully understand it. 

During the lesson, Rae found it harder to focus than usual. Her mind kept drifting to Henry. To his soft words, his steady presence. And the way he looked at her—like she wasn't just another face in the crowd, like she mattered. 

After class, Henry caught up with her as she packed up her things. His hand brushed against her arm as he walked beside her, and Rae felt a flicker of warmth spread across her skin. 

"Hey," he said, his voice light, though there was something else in it, something she couldn't quite place. 

"Hey," she replied, her tone almost too neutral. She didn't want to make it seem like she was suddenly *paying attention* to him, even though she was. 

"Want to go grab a coffee? There's a place not far from here," Henry asked, his smile widening. "You've been kind of quiet lately. Thought you might like a change of scenery." 

Rae hesitated, but only for a moment. The thought of being in a quieter, less crowded space was... appealing. More than she wanted to admit. 

"Sure," she said softly. "I could use a break." 

They walked in comfortable silence to the coffee shop down the street, the light drizzle from earlier now faded into a steady mist that hung in the air. Henry pushed open the door and waved for Rae to go first, a gentlemanly gesture that made her heart beat a little faster than it should have. 

Inside, the warm aroma of coffee and baked goods wrapped around her like a soft blanket. The quiet buzz of conversation filled the space, but it didn't feel as overwhelming here. It felt... safe. 

They sat by the window, and for a moment, Rae couldn't help but notice how the dim light from the streetlamps outside seemed to catch the edges of Henry's face, making him look almost... different. More real. 

"So, how's the studying going?" Henry asked after they'd both taken a sip of their drinks. 

"It's fine," Rae replied, though she wasn't entirely sure she was being honest. Her thoughts were still scattered. "I'm keeping up." 

Henry smiled. "I'm sure you are. You always do." 

Rae looked down at her coffee, fiddling with the edge of her cup. There was a heaviness in the air now, a weight in the space between them that felt harder to ignore. 

"You're always so confident," she said suddenly, her words slipping out before she could stop them. 

Henry raised an eyebrow. "Confident?" 

"Yeah," she said, her voice quieter now. "Like you don't second-guess anything. You just... go for it." 

Henry was silent for a moment, his fingers absently tracing the rim of his cup. "I don't know about that," he said finally. "I second-guess a lot of things. But... maybe I just choose not to show it." 

Rae's heart skipped. "Why?" 

"Because it's easier, I guess," he said, looking directly at her, his eyes earnest. "It's easier to pretend you have everything figured out than to let people see that you don't. And I think..." He paused, as if considering his words carefully. "I think maybe you do the same thing." 

Rae's breath caught in her throat, her chest tightening. "I don't," she said quickly, but even she didn't believe it. She *did* second-guess everything. She second-guessed every smile, every word, every connection she made. She just didn't let anyone see it. 

Henry looked at her with a mix of understanding and something else, something that made Rae's heart race in a way she wasn't prepared for. "You don't have to pretend with me, Rae," he said softly. "I won't think any less of you." 

She opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out. The words felt stuck in her throat, and for a moment, it felt like the air around them had become thick, almost suffocating. 

Rae looked away, trying to regain control, but she couldn't shake the weight of his words. "I don't know how to not pretend," she said, her voice small. 

Henry's gaze softened. "It's not about being perfect," he said, his voice gentle. "It's about being real. With me. With yourself." 

Rae bit her lip, her hands trembling slightly. She didn't know what to say, what to do with the feeling that was growing inside her, threatening to spill over. But for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel like running. 

She felt... seen. 

And for once, that didn't seem like such a bad thing.