chapter 13

Chapter 12: As the days passed, Lila couldn’t help but notice the little things—the small moments where the connection between her and Ben grew, bit by bit. It wasn’t anything dramatic, no earth-shattering confessions or grand gestures, but it was something solid. Something real.But, of course, just as things started to feel easy, life decided to throw in a curveball.One Tuesday Morning...The café was bustling with its usual morning crowd. The scent of freshly baked muffins, coffee, and cinnamon filled the air as Lila arranged the last of the day’s specials on the counter. Grace was chatting with a regular, and Ben was pulling espresso shots behind the counter. All in all, it was shaping up to be a perfectly ordinary day.And then she walked in.Lila froze for a moment when she saw the woman step through the door, her heels clicking sharply against the wooden floor. She was tall, confident, with blonde hair that fell in perfect waves and a smile that looked as practiced as it was perfect. It was the kind of smile that made Lila’s stomach drop.The woman walked up to the counter with a kind of elegance that immediately set her apart from the regular crowd. Lila smiled politely, despite the unease spreading in her chest."Hi, what can I get for you?" Lila asked, trying to sound casual.The woman glanced at her, then at the menu, before her gaze landed on Ben behind the counter. Lila couldn’t miss the way the woman’s eyes lingered on him for a moment too long."Hey there, Ben," the woman said, her voice smooth as silk.Lila’s heart skipped a beat. Ben?Ben looked up from the coffee machine, his face lighting up in surprise. "Emily! Wow, it’s been... what, a year?"Emily—so that was her name—smiled warmly, stepping closer to the counter. “More like a year and a half, I think.”Lila didn’t know what to do with herself. She tried to keep her expression neutral, but her thoughts were racing. A year and a half? Who was this woman?Ben was still smiling, though Lila noticed the subtle tension in his posture. It wasn’t a relaxed, easy smile like he had with her. There was something guarded about it, and it made Lila’s chest tighten.The woman, Emily, turned back to Lila, who was still standing there, frozen. “I’ll take a latte,” Emily said with a charming smile. “And a chocolate muffin. Are those the secret muffins I’ve heard so much about?”Lila snapped out of her daze and nodded, quickly going to prepare the order. “Of course. One latte and one chocolate muffin coming right up.”As she moved, she couldn’t stop herself from overhearing the conversation between Ben and Emily.“So, how’s life?” Emily asked, leaning on the counter in that familiar way, like she’d been here a thousand times before. “I saw your bakery opened. Looks like it’s doing well.”Ben nodded, though there was an edge to his tone now. “Yeah, it’s been great. You should stop by more often, Emily.”Emily’s smile faltered just a bit, but only for a moment. “I will. I’ve just been... busy with work. You know how it is.”Lila placed the latte and muffin on the counter, trying her best to not let her feelings show on her face. She handed them over to Emily with a polite smile.“Here you go.”“Thanks,” Emily said, grabbing the items. Her eyes flicked between Lila and Ben, and for a second, it almost felt like she was sizing Lila up. “It’s nice to see Ben’s still surrounded by good company. I’m glad he’s found someone to work with.”Lila tried to keep her smile in place, but there was a sharpness to her words that she hadn’t intended. “Ben’s been a great help. I wouldn’t be able to do this without him.”Emily gave a soft laugh, as if she found something funny in the exchange. “I’m sure he’s great at everything. He always was.”Lila felt a little heat rise to her cheeks. She didn’t know what it was about Emily’s presence, but it made her feel... small. Like there was something she didn’t know, something she was missing. Maybe it was the way Ben seemed more distant, more formal with Emily than he had been with her, or maybe it was just the fact that Emily clearly had a history with him—one that she wasn’t a part of.Emily took her latte and muffin, giving Ben one last smile before she turned to leave. “It was really great seeing you, Ben. I’ll be back soon,” she said, before walking out of the café with a flick of her hair.Lila watched her go, trying not to feel like an outsider in her own bakery. When the door closed behind Emily, she glanced at Ben, who was now staring down at the counter, his fingers gripping the edge as if they were the only thing keeping him grounded.Lila didn’t know what to say. She wanted to ask who Emily was, why she made him so tense, and why it felt like she was standing on the outside looking in. But she didn’t. Not yet. She had to figure this out on her own.Later That Day...It wasn’t until they were alone in the café after closing that Lila finally spoke. The tension between them had been building all day, a quiet undercurrent that neither of them had addressed. Ben had been more withdrawn than usual, and Lila had kept her distance, not wanting to push him when he was clearly lost in thought.Finally, as they were wiping down the tables, Lila couldn’t take it anymore.“So... Emily,” she said, her voice steady but with a trace of curiosity. “Who is she?”Ben paused, his hand hovering over the rag he had been holding. He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “She’s an old friend. We dated for a while... a long time ago.”Lila nodded, trying to keep her face neutral. Dated? The word hit her harder than she expected. She hadn’t realized they’d been that close.“I didn’t think she’d just show up like that,” Ben added quickly, as if sensing her discomfort. “It’s... complicated, Lila. We didn’t exactly end on the best terms.”Lila was quiet for a moment, letting his words sink in. “Okay. But... she seemed pretty comfortable around here. Is that normal? I mean, you didn’t look... I don’t know, excited to see her.”Ben met her gaze, his expression softer now. “I didn’t expect her to walk in, and I’m sorry if that made things awkward. But I promise you, Lila, there’s nothing between Emily and me anymore. It’s all in the past.”Lila wasn’t sure if she fully believed him. Something about the way he said it felt a little too rehearsed, like he was trying to convince himself as much as her. She wanted to believe him—she really did—but there was a nagging feeling that she couldn’t shake. Emily had left an impression. And it wasn’t a good one.“I trust you, Ben,” Lila said, her voice quiet but firm. “But that didn’t feel good. I think we need to talk about things like this more openly, or else it’s just going to build up.”Ben nodded, looking guilty. “You’re right. I’ll be more upfront with you. I’m sorry.”Lila managed a small smile, but there was a tightness in her chest that she couldn’t ignore. She wanted things to be simple, to just enjoy the bakery and the moments they shared. But this was real life. And sometimes, real life came with complications.“I think... I think we need to take things one step at a time,” she said, trying to shake off the lingering tension. “No more secrets.”Ben smiled, though it was faint. “Agreed. No more secrets.”For the first time in days, Lila felt the air between them settle a little, but the questions still lingered in her mind. Who was Emily really? And how much of Ben’s past was still between them?