Chapter 1 familiar
The rich aroma of freshly brewed coffee lingered in the air as soft jazz played quietly through the café speakers. It was a peaceful Saturday morning, and the place buzzed with conversations, the clinking of coffee cups, and the occasional laughter of customers.
For Dr. Lilith Hayes, this café had become more than just a place to grab coffee. It was her escape.
Dressed in a cream-colored sweater beneath her long coat, she sat in her usual corner by the window, her laptop open as she reviewed patient reports for Monday's surgery. Her untouched cappuccino had long since gone cold.
"You know," Alan said, placing his coffee on the table with a teasing smile, "one day you're actually going to marry that laptop."
Lilith didn't even look up.
"It complains less than people do."
Alan laughed.
"I swear, you're impossible."
She finally looked at him, a faint smile appearing on her lips.
"Didn't you drag me here because you said you wanted to catch up?"
"I did."
"Then stop complaining."
"I'll complain as much as I want."
The two shared a small laugh.
For a brief moment, everything felt normal.
Then the bell above the café door chimed.
Alan turned toward the entrance and smiled.
"There he is."
Lilith glanced up absentmindedly.
The moment her eyes met the man walking through the door, her smile disappeared.
Her heart skipped a beat.
No...
It can't be...
He looked older.
More mature.
The carefree teenage boy she once knew had become a confident man dressed in a black coat, his sleeves rolled neatly above his wrists. His familiar gray eyes scanned the café before stopping on hers.
Time stood still.
Seven years.
Seven years since she'd last seen him.
Seven years since she'd broken both their hearts.
"Lilith," Alan called, completely unaware of the tension in the air. "Meet my cousin, Damian Cole."
The name echoed in her mind.
Damian.
Her first love.
The boy who had once dreamed of building a future with her.
The boy she had walked away from without giving him the explanation he deserved.
Damian reached their table.
"It's nice to meet you," he said politely, offering a small smile.
As if they were strangers.
Lilith swallowed the lump in her throat.
"It's... nice to meet you too."
She hated how steady her voice sounded.
Because inside...
She was falling apart.
Alan pulled out a chair for Damian.
"I've been telling him about you for months," Alan said excitedly. "Best trauma surgeon I know. Although she works way too much."
Lilith shot Alan a look.
"You're exaggerating."
"Am I?"
Damian remained silent, his eyes never leaving her for long.
She looked different.
Gone was the bright smile that used to light up every room.
The spark in her eyes had faded into something colder... heavier.
She carried herself with confidence, yet there was sadness hidden behind every expression.
She wasn't the girl he remembered.
She was someone else.
Someone life had changed.
Someone who looked like she'd spent years carrying the weight of the world alone.
And despite everything...
She was still the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen.
Lilith closed her laptop and wrapped both hands around her coffee cup.
She could feel Damian's gaze on her.
It was suffocating.
Dangerous.
Because the more she looked at him...
The harder it became to remember why she had convinced herself to let him go.
Outside, rain began to fall against the café windows.
Neither of them knew it yet...
But this unexpected reunion was about to change both of their lives forever.
