The four of them sat together in a small booth tucked near the back of the bar — Matt, Elliot, June, and a girl with sharp eyeliner and cherry-colored lipstick.
The table was a small mess of damp napkins, drink glasses, and half-melted ice cubes.
Elliot's untouched beer sat in front of him like a stranger he didn't know what to do with.
Matt leaned in, smiling wide.
"So, you two know each other?" he asked, glancing between Elliot and June.
June gave a quiet nod, her voice calm and even.
"Yes. Yesterday, at the café. He walked in like someone carrying a black cloud. We talked a little. There was... coffee. And an accident."
She left it at that, her eyes briefly flicking toward Elliot's before returning to her glass.
Matt grinned.
"Well then, since you already know each other — I'm Matt, Elliot's friendly neighborhood chaos. He's a bit shy, but give him time."
He nudged Elliot gently, earning no reaction but a slow blink.
The girl beside June tilted her glass lazily and said,
"I'm Amelia. June and I go way back. University. She helped me cheat on a biology quiz once and I never let her go."
June rolled her eyes but smiled faintly.
"That's not what happened."
"It is in my version," Amelia shot back. "Besides, I'm only here to make sure she talks to humans at least once a month."
The girls laughed together, the kind of laughter that only long friendships could carry.
Elliot sat quietly, letting it all pass through him like music through a wall.
Then Matt, eyes gleaming, leaned toward him.
"Hey, Elliot. What did you think of June when you first saw her?"
The question hung in the air, playful but heavy.
Elliot glanced toward June. She wasn't smiling, but she was waiting. Listening.
He thought about the café. The rain. Her voice when she said her name. The espresso. The cheesecake.
And the way she looked at him — not like he was broken, just... like he was there.
He finally said, in his usual low, calm tone:
"She seemed like someone who didn't quite belong in a place like this. And somehow... I was glad she was there."
June blinked, eyes softening — almost surprised.
Matt laughed. "Damn, that's smooth for a shy guy."
Amelia grinned.
"Maybe I misjudged you, Elliot. You've got that quiet poet vibe."
Elliot didn't reply. He looked down at his untouched drink, then at the window.
It had started raining again.
But it didn't feel as heavy as usual.
End of Chapter 4