The Walk
Ethan lingered by the coffee shop window, pretending to scroll through his phone. His eyes flickered every so often to Abby sitting at the farthest table, stirring her latte absentmindedly. They had been best friends for two years since meeting in Chemistry on the first day of college, yet every time he saw her, his pulse fluttered.
In his eyes, Abby was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. She had light brown hair that fell in loose waves over her slender shoulders, warm hazel eyes, and a quiet, gentle demeanor, even in the simplest things, like holding a cup of coffee to her rose lips.
Of course, he wanted to tell her how he felt, but whenever he tried, the words knotted in his throat.
Inside the coffee shop, Abby’s phone buzzed. She glanced at it, and her eyes softened. Then she smiled brightly.
Ethan’s stomach sank because he knew it wasn’t a message from him. It was probably from Alex, her ex-boyfriend, with whom she had recently reconnected.
He had seen a picture of him once, months ago, when Abby had shared with him the story of a love that had burned hot and fast, leaving charred memories behind. They had been high school sweethearts for four years, until Alex ended things after their graduation, leaving Abby heartbroken.
Ethan saw Abby’s fingers fly across the screen, typing back almost eagerly, and decided to walk in.
He had always been patient with her, standing by her like a supportive friend, even when she dated other men. He had long ago decided that, even if she rejected him, he would remain by her side as a friend. But now, watching her smile at a message that wasn’t from him, he had the urge to finally tell her how he felt.
Ethan ordered a coffee and walked up to her.
“Hey,” he said casually, sliding into the empty chair opposite her.
Abby looked up, startled for a moment, and then smiled with a warmth that made Ethan’s heart skip a beat.
“Ethan!” she said, putting her phone down. “Hi, I didn’t see you come in!”
“I’ve been working on my stealth skills. I guess they’re finally paying off.”
Abby laughed, a soft, bright sound that bubbled out of her effortlessly.
At first, they talked about trivial things: the weather, the latest hit song, and last night’s episode of a popular show. Then their conversation turned to deeper topics: their classes, plans after graduation, and the fears they had for their future in the real “adult world.”
They laughed together and fell into that easy rhythm they always seemed to find. Silence wasn’t awkward, and words never felt forced.
And then Abby’s phone buzzed again, this time with a call, and Alex’s name popped up on the screen.
Abby rejected the call and sighed.
“Everything okay?” Ethan asked, pretending he hadn’t seen the name.
“Yeah. It’s nothing important.”
Ethan nodded and didn’t push further. Because, of course, it was important, but he respected Abby’s privacy and her right to keep some things to herself, even if they were best friends.
Ever since they met, Ethan had tried to stay close without bothering. His feelings had blossomed after a year into their friendship, but even before that, he had always been someone who was attentive and respectful towards her. He remembered her favorite coffee, how she liked her bagel toasted, and even the song she hummed when she worked on her laptop.
But Alex was everywhere in ways he couldn’t control, especially now that they were talking again. Abby would sometimes speak about late-night calls and surprise visits.
Ethan knew Alex was the kind of love that burned bright and fast, while he was quiet, patient, and constant.
“I should get going. It’s getting late, and I have class early in the morning,” Abby said, packing up her laptop and notebook.
“I’ll walk you home.”
Abby smiled warmly, and they walked out of the coffee shop together.
The evening air was cool, carrying the faint hum of traffic and the distant chatter of people heading home.
They had only gone a couple of blocks when Abby slowed down slightly.
“Hey, isn’t that…”
Ethan followed her eyes and felt his chest tighten.
Alex stood near the corner of the street. His tall frame was hard to miss, always so straight-backed and confident, like he belonged anywhere he stood. He had his hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket while he waited for the crosswalk light to turn green.
His face lit up the moment he spotted Abby. “Hey, Abby!”
Abby hesitated for half a second before offering a small, polite smile. “Hi, Alex.”
Alex’s eyes flickered briefly to Ethan, sizing him up in a way that felt subtle but wasn’t. “Elliot, right?”
“Ethan,” Abby corrected.
“Right. The best friend. I’m Alex, an old friend of Abby,” Alex said, offering a fist bump.
Ethan thanked him internally for not saying “ex-boyfriend” to make things awkward.
“Nice to meet you,” he said, pumping his fist.
“I didn’t expect to run into you,” Alex said, turning his attention back to Abby. “I was actually just heading back from the library. Thought I might give you another call, but I guess I got lucky.”
“Yeah, sorry I couldn’t take your call earlier. I was in the middle of something,” Abby said, shifting the strap of her bag on her shoulder.
“It’s okay. I just wanted to check in about tomorrow. You still good to help me with that math assignment? If I don’t ace this test, I might fail the class.”
Ethan blinked, feeling the tension wash off his shoulders.
Abby nodded. “Of course. You just want me to review your answers, right? Did the study guide I gave you help?”
“Yeah, but I still want to be super sure I got the steps right. I’m so hopeless without you.”
“Then we’ll review them in before class tomorrow.”
Alex smiled. “Thank you, Abby,” he said, then his eyes softened. “You always made things feel easier.”
There was a long pause.
It was the type of silence that always left something deeper lingering in the air. Ethan felt it settle heavily between them, reminding him he was a new character joining a story that had already run four seasons.
“Well,” Abby said, gently tugging at Ethan’s arm, “we should probably get going. It’s getting late.”
“Right. Yeah,” Alex nodded, though he didn’t move. “It was really good seeing you, Abby.”
“You too,” she said, walking away past him.
Alex glanced at Ethan one last time. “Take care of her, man.”
Ethan caught it immediately: the sadness and surrender of someone giving up something that he no longer had in his hands.
“I will.”
Alex smiled faintly, and then he turned and walked off as soon as the light turned green.
Ethan and Abby walked silently for a few more blocks as the streetlights flickered on.
“That wasn’t as awkward as I thought it’d be,” Abby said.
Ethan chuckled. “I was expecting dramatic background music,” he joked.
“Things are normal now. We’ve just been talking because we share a couple of general classes,” Abby explained. “And… I don’t know. He apologized, and it felt easier to keep things friendly than to hold a grudge forever.”
“Yeah. I get that.”
“I mean it, Ethan.”
Ethan stopped, noticing the frustration in Abby’s voice.
She stared at him with a serious expression. “Nothing is going on between Alex and me.”
Ethan didn’t understand why Abby was so insistent, but he couldn’t help feel… hopeful.
“And I believe you, Abby.”
They walked another block in silence.
Ethan kept replaying the whole evening in his head. The way Abby had smiled at her phone before, Alex’s call she rejected, and the way she had pulled him away from Alex. What if the answer had been in front of him the whole time? What if he had been looking at everything through the wrong lens, and he really had a chance?
“Can I ask you something?” Ethan said, finally.
“Sure.”
“Why did you smile like that earlier?” he asked. “You were smiling at your phone when I walked into the coffee shop.”
Abby blinked. “At my phone?”
“Yeah. You seemed… really happy,” Ethan explained. “I thought Alex had made you smile like that.”
Abby laughed. “Oh! Right! I remember. No, it wasn’t Alex.”
“Then who was it?”
He felt dumb asking something that made him seem he was openly jealous, but at that point, he was genuinely curious.
“You.”
Ethan stopped walking abruptly. “…Me?”
“You sent me that dumb meme about the cat failing a jump,” Abby replied, amused.
Ethan frowned slightly. “That was like… three hours earlier.”
“I know. I saved it. I was just sending it to my sister.”
“Why?”
“Because it was funny. I love your sense of humor.”
The night’s breeze blew softly between them.
Abby took a deep breath and took a step towards him. “Ethan, isn’t it obvious? I’ve been in love with you for a while now. I just didn’t know how to say it without risking everything we already had.”
For a second, Ethan just stood there, staring at her like he wasn’t sure he’d heard right. His mind went completely blank, like he had finally managed to put the pieces of a puzzle together, and now he could see the full, clear picture of something obvious.
He let out a breath that felt like it had been stuck in his lungs for months.
“I’ve been trying so hard to hide my feelings for you for so long, too. I didn’t want to mess things up,” he confessed.
Abby grinned. “Guess I finally beat you at something.”
Ethan laughed, shaking his head. “Yeah, yeah, I guess you did.”
“You know,” Abby said, “you weren’t exactly subtle for someone who was trying so hard to hide his feelings.”
“Oh, come on.. I was extremely subtle,” Ethan protested.
“You left notes in my bag.”
“They were friendly notes.”
“You drew a happy face with a heart.”
“It was a very neutral heart.”
Abby laughed.
Ethan looked at her, taking in how beautiful she was when she was genuinely happy. It made something in his chest grow warmer.
“So… what now?” he asked.
Abby hummed, tilting her head. “Well, I guess now you walk me home… as my boyfriend?”
Ethan smiled. “Yeah, I like that idea.”
“Good,” Abby said, holding his hand.
They kept walking, a little slower than before, with their hands intertwined, becoming two silhouettes slowly blurring into the witness of their love.
