asn't sure what to make of it. His presence was commanding, but not in an overbearing way. He was a man who exudes quiet confidence, someon

t she didn't appreciate the company; it was just that everything in her felt off balance. She had walked into the café to escape, t

sense of whatever had brought her here today, sitting in this café, in the middle of a city that never paused for a

er to carry, too filled with a mixture of

voice. It wasn't an apology, but it was a recognition of her discomfort. "I noticed

avoiding the obvious, pretending that nothing was wrong. But there was no pretense with Aus

finally looking up to meet his gaze. It was strange how he seemed to see right through her, not judging, just

d and calm. "I get that. People tend to keep things to themselves when they're hurting, like they don't want anyone to see the

nt of her. She could feel a strange pull, something tugging at the edges of her defenses. Normally, she would have dismissed such a comment, would have been quick

laced with a trace of bitterness. "People don't always understa

rry it all by yourself." His words were simple, but there was something so genuine in them that Kate couldn't help but n

man she had trusted, the man who had broken her heart in the most unexpected of ways. The betrayal felt like

d to go into detail. Austin didn't ask, and for some reason, she felt no immediate need to explain

ce quiet but steady. "But eventually, the sun rises a

hat, to believe that things could get better, that her world wasn't shattered beyond repair. But after the thing

he said, a curious edge to her voice. "You sound lik

hrough his eyes before it was quickly masked. But in that fleeting mom

ant for himself as much as they were for her. "We all have our moments. The quest

specially when she had so much of her own pain to contend with. But something about the way Austin spoke, so plainly, so without prete

luid, like someone used to commanding the room. Kate's heart skipped a beat, a s

though still calm, carried an intensity that made her feel like he wasn't just speaking to her, he was speakin

re why, but sh

into the busy street. For a moment, she sat in silence, the emptiness of the café suddenly louder in his

n her a reminder, one that Kate wasn't sure she was ready to accept just yet. But somehow, in the

nce a

tle. She wasn't ready to let go of the hurt, not yet. But maybe, just