"Hey… are you okay?"
I turned slightly. A man stood a few steps behind me. Not smiling. Not trying too hard. Not like the others. His voice was calm, steady.
"Yes, I'm fine." I replied, my tone firm but polite.
He nodded, stepping closer not invasive, just enough to be heard over the music drifting out from the ballroom.
"Well," he said lightly, "it's unusual to see someone out here alone.
Especially when everyone else seems to be enjoying the party."
A quiet, almost cold chuckle slipped out of me.
"Too many people don't entertain me."
His head tilted slightly, amused.
"Most people here thrive on attention."
"I'm not most people."
"No," he said, his gaze steady, "you're not."
There was a brief pause, comfortable, surprisingly. The kind that doesn't demand small talk. He extended a hand. His movements were slow, deliberate, as if he always calculated the effect of everything he did.
"I'm Riven Veynar."
I took his hand.
"Kayla Winsler."
He studied me for a second, not in a way that crossed a line, just enough to show genuine interest.
Author's POV —
Kayla said her name like it was just another detail, something small she was handing him. Before he could say anything more, the host stepped onto the small stage and announced the start of the first dance in the gala hall.
He looked at her before asking,
"Would you like to dance?"
For a second, Kayla wasn't sure why she nodded. And he looked equally unsure why he had even asked. But they both followed the moment as if something had already decided for them.
Inside the hall, the lights softened and the music settled into a slow rhythm. He placed a steady hand at her waist, the kind that didn't rush but didn't hesitate either. She rested her hand on his shoulder, feeling how warm he actually was. It was the closest either of them had been to someone in a long time, and that fact hung in the air between them.
They moved slowly, their steps finding a quiet harmony. Her dress shifted with every turn, the slit brushing against her leg as if following a rhythm of its own. Her hair, curled and loose, drifted with each motion, catching a bit of the light as they passed under the chandeliers.
He twirled her once, smooth and controlled. When she came back into his arms, the space between them had somehow become smaller.
She lifted her gaze to his, and the look he gave her didn't match the room they were in. It held something deeper, something that shouldn't have been possible between two people who'd barely exchanged a full conversation.
The music slowly faded and the spell broke with it. Applause rose around them from the other guests. They stepped apart carefully, as if distance suddenly mattered again.
Riven's gaze stayed on her steady, almost curious, as if he was trying to understand something he hadn't expected to feel.
"I'm hosting a small gathering next week,"
he said, his tone even but carrying a quiet weight.
"If you'd like to come."
He glanced once at his assistant, an almost imperceptible signal.
His assistant blinked, clearly confused by this unplanned move. He stepped forward, took a card from his jacket, and handed it directly to Maria, who accepted it with a polite nod, slipping it into her folder.
Kayla just gave the slightest nod, calm and composed
"I'll see if I'm able to make it," she said.
Maria gently guides her toward the exit.
Riven watched her go. His assistant looked at him, puzzled, this wasn't on the schedule, wasn't something Riven ever did. He didn't explain.
Couldn't, really.
He just stood there with that unfamiliar pull in his chest.
And for the first time in a long time, he hoped someone would say yes.
----
Two days Later
12:15 PM — Upper West Side, New York
The afternoon sun spilled through the tall windows of Tessa's villa, warming the polished floors and casting lazy patterns across the pool table where she and Catherine had been playing for almost an hour. Music played softly in the background, snacks sat half-finished on the side table, and the whole place smelled faintly of vanilla candles.
Catherine leaned on her cue, sighing as she lined up her next shot.
"Okay, listen," she said, tapping the table lightly.
"My boss wants the entire proposal redone before Monday. Again. I swear he thinks my life is his project."
Tessa snorted, chalking the cue lazily.
"Then tell him you're taking a vacation. A permanent one."
Catherine laughed.
"Please. That man would file a complaint against me if I did that."
Tessa aimed, took the shot, sank a stripe, and shrugged.
"Sounds like a him-problem."
Before Catherine could reply, one of Tessa's staff appeared in the doorway holding a large bouquet wrapped in deep burgundy paper.
"Ma'am, a delivery just came in."
Tessa raised an eyebrow.
"Great. Another bouquet. My mother probably is bribing me to attend that family thing I skipped."
Catherine smirked. "You did skip it."
"Obviously." Tessa rolled her eyes and reached for her drink.
"She sent flowers instead of yelling. Progress."
Catherine glanced at the bouquet.
"Anyway, I should head to Soph's after this. Haven't seen her in a bit."
"Mm-hm." Tessa nodded.
"Oh speaking of people we haven't seen… Kyle's in town."
Catherine paused mid-sip. "Kyle? Really?"
"Yep. Saw his name on the guest list for some charity thing last night. Haven't seen him in years."
Catherine smiled a little. "I should meet him too… soon."
Tessa shot her a teasing look before taking another casual sip of her drink. Catherine rolled her eyes, nudging the cue ball with her fingertip as if debating her next move.
The game continued, the light changing slowly across the room as the two of them slipped back into their easy rhythm of conversation.
----
An hour later
142 Mercer Street, New York City
The small bell above the door chimed every few minutes, but Sophia barely noticed anything. She was behind the counter, bending down to place a fresh tray of cookies into the display when a familiar voice spoke above her, calm and warm.
"Can I get a caramel latte and… two of your pecan brownies?"
She paused. She recognized that voice instantly. Sophia straightened and turned, her face lit up instantly.
"Kyle?" Her smile grew wide. "Wow. It's been a long time!"
He chuckled softly, hands in his pockets.
"Yes, indeed. How are you, Soph?"
"I'm good," she said. "You go sit. I'll get your order and then we'll talk properly."
Kyle nodded. "Take your time. Don't rush for me."
She flashed him another smile before hurrying toward the counter.
A few minutes later, she walked over to his table with the latte and brownies, setting them down before sitting opposite him.
"So," she said, resting her elbows lightly on the table, "catch me up. Where have you been hiding?"
Kyle grinned.
"Mostly moving between Boston and Chicago for work. Mom still thinks I'm overworking myself, so she's been calling every other week to remind me to 'balance my life like a responsible adult.' "
She laughed. "Some things don't change."
"What about you?" he asked.
"Oh, you know… café runs my entire schedule." She gestured around.
"New menu items, renovation plans, the usual chaos."
Then a customer called for her from the counter.
Sophia stood immediately. "Hold that thought, I'll be back."
Kyle lifted his hand. "Go. I'll wait."
As she walked away, he watched her, her soft smile, her calm way of moving around the café, the same gentle warmth she carried years ago.
She hadn't changed. Not even a little.
His mind drifted back to the first time he ever met her. He was fourteen, rushing out of his room after Kayla had annoyed him during a project. He'd turned a corner too fast and bumped straight into someone.
A girl with a sweet smile, holding a box of cookies.
"Cookie?" she had said with a tiny laugh.
"Kayla and I have a science project to finish… I bought some on the way. You're her brother, right? You can have some too."
He'd stared at her, confused at first, then quietly accepted a cookie, smiling without fully understanding why. That moment replayed in his head now, clearer than ever. Time had changed everything around him.
But she was the one thing that felt exactly the same.
A friend, a comfort, or maybe…
something so much more that he never had the courage to say out loud.
He took a slow sip of his coffee, eyes drifting back to her as she laughed with a customer.
He wished, just once that everything around him would settle.
So he could finally tell her.
After about ten minutes, the door opened again.
Catherine stepped inside.
She stopped mid-step when her eyes landed on Kyle.
"No way.. Kyle?"
He stood up instantly, and they shared a warm hug.
"Look at you! It's been… what? Years?" He said.
"Feels like a whole lifetime. Didn't expect to see you here of all places." Catherine says happily
They sat, and the three of them fell into another wave of catching up. Catherine talked about work, her hectic schedule, her boss stressing her out again. Kyle teased her about still being the same multitasker who never let anyone breathe. They asked him about his return, how long he was staying, if he'd seen Kayla yet, and what he had planned.
He shrugged lightly.
"Just taking things slow this time. Lot on my mind."
They nodded, understanding without pressing.
After a while, Kyle reached for his coat.
"Alright, I'm leaving, girls. You two catch up. I'll see y'all soon."
He gave Sophia a quick smile, squeezed Catherine's shoulder, and stepped out. Catherine leaned onto the counter as Sophia went back to arrange fresh pastries. They talked and laughed, their voices weaving through the soft murmur of the café.
----
A few days later
09:35 PM — Brooklyn Heights, New York
Kayla's driver had parked the car near the building, the city's glow reflecting softly off its polished surface. Maria had gone inside the building to fetch the files, leaving Kayla with a few stolen moments of stillness. She stepped out, leaning against the car, letting the cool night air brush against her face as she drank in the city lights.
Across the road, a small family caught her eye. The father was bent over their car, trying to fix some problem, while the mother stayed close, occasionally glancing at the little girl who wandered nearby.
She stood completely adoring the simple warmth of the family. She longed for a childhood like that, for a life filled with such simple warmth and love with parents who cared.
Then she noticed it, a car speeding down the street. The little girl had wandered onto the road, unaware of the danger.
Kayla's eyes went wide. "Wait!" she shouted,
and before she could think, she ran forward, guiding the child out of the way.
The car struck her. The force threw her to the pavement, her body jolting with the sudden shock. The streetlights above blurred into long, trembling streaks, and the distant hum of the city stretched into a soft, indistinct echo.
Her eyes slowly closed, the world gradually slowing around her. Time seemed to stretch, the city's sounds and lights fading into a gentle hush.
----
The next day,
10:55 PM — The Veynar penthouse, Manhattan
The room shimmered with crystal chandeliers, casting warm light over well-dressed guests who laughed softly and clinked glasses. Riven moved through the crowd exchanging polite smiles and formal handshakes.
"…and I must say, your last project was truly impressive," he said to a guest, nodding with a carefully measured smile.
"Thank you, Mr.Veynar. That means a lot," the guest replied, returning the smile.
Yet, even amid the laughter and music, his eyes kept returning to that doorway, waiting for someone who never came.
He didn't know why the thought of her walking in stirred something he couldn't name. All he knew was the quiet pull of hope, that maybe, just maybe, he'd see her again. And as the doorway stayed empty, that hope was the only thing that seemed to matter, The hope of finally meeting her again...