chapter 15

Chapter 14: The next morning, the café was quieter than usual. It was a Tuesday, and while the weekend crowd had dispersed, there was still a steady flow of regulars trickling in for their morning coffee fix. Lila was moving through her routine—baking, prepping, chatting with customers—when she noticed Ben standing in the back, deep in thought, his brow furrowed as he fiddled with a few muffin tins."What's going on back here?" Lila called, leaning over the counter. “You look like you’re plotting world domination with those muffin tins.”Ben looked up and gave her a small smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. "Oh, just trying to figure out the right combination for the mystery muffin."Lila raised an eyebrow. “Mystery muffin, huh? That sounds suspiciously like you’re avoiding something.”Ben chuckled, but the sound was light, almost nervous. “I’m not avoiding anything. Just... testing the butter theory.”She walked over to him, leaning casually against the counter as she watched him work. "Butter theory, huh? I thought that was more of a... casual suggestion?"Ben paused and grinned. “You make it sound like I’m obsessed with butter.” Then, his expression turned serious, almost thoughtful. "But you know what? I think I am obsessed with butter. If you can’t be obsessed with butter in this line of work, what are you even doing?"Lila laughed, the sound easy and light. It was strange, how the space between them seemed to have opened up so effortlessly over the last few weeks. They were no longer just two people working in a café together—there was something else now. A quiet understanding. A kind of unspoken thing.“Well, I’m all in on the butter muffin,” Lila said, crossing her arms. “But if we’re making it a ‘mystery,’ we should probably give it a twist. Like a surprise filling or an unexpected flavor.”Ben looked at her with a hint of amusement in his eyes. “You’re speaking my language. What did you have in mind?”Lila grinned. “How about lemon curd? Something tart and sweet to balance out all the richness.”Ben’s eyebrows shot up. “Lemon curd? That’s genius. We’re going to have a muffin revolution on our hands.”They both shared a laugh at the thought, but there was a warmth in the exchange. A new layer of comfort that wasn’t there before. It wasn’t just about the muffins anymore. It was about the way they could work together so naturally.And maybe, just maybe, it was about something more.That Afternoon...By mid-afternoon, the café had turned into a quiet sanctuary. Only a few tables were occupied by regulars with their noses buried in books or laptops. Grace had stopped by earlier, but now it was just Lila and Ben in the back, finalizing the details for the new muffin.“We’re almost ready to launch,” Lila said, wiping flour from her hands. She gave Ben a glance, noting how his focus was entirely on the muffins, the way his brows furrowed in concentration as he tweaked the final batch of dough.“Yeah, I think we’re just about there,” Ben said, standing up and stretching. “I’m actually really excited about this. It feels like... well, it feels like we’re doing something fun.”Lila smiled. “That’s because we are. Who knew baking could be such an adventure?”Ben’s eyes softened, his gaze lingering on her just a moment longer than usual. “I’m glad we’re doing it together.”Lila’s heart skipped. There was something in the way he said it—something she wasn’t quite able to place, but it made her feel... something. Warm. A little light-headed. Like they were building something more than just a bakery.Before she could respond, the café door jingled, announcing the arrival of a new customer. Lila turned, her thoughts shifting back to the present.But when she saw who had walked in, she froze.It was Emily. Again.This time, she wasn’t alone. She was with a man—a tall, sharp-looking guy in a suit. He had that confident air, the kind that only came from too many years in a boardroom, and Lila immediately felt a pang of discomfort.Ben must’ve noticed her change in expression because he turned quickly, his face instantly darkening. But he didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply wiped his hands on his apron and stepped forward to greet them.“Emily. Hey,” Ben said, his tone polite but distant.Emily smiled, her eyes flicking over to Lila briefly before returning to Ben. “Ben, I didn’t expect to see you here. I’ve heard so much about this place. Thought I’d stop by, finally.”The man beside her gave Ben a firm handshake. “Hey there. I’m Alex,” he said with a confident smile. “Nice to meet you. Ben’s told me a lot about you.”Lila felt her stomach twist. “Oh, has he?” she said, her voice light but edged with something she couldn’t hide. She didn’t even know what to feel anymore. Emily had that way of making her feel small without saying much, and the fact that Ben hadn’t mentioned her, hadn’t mentioned this—this other side of him—made the whole thing feel... strange.Ben seemed to sense the discomfort in the air. He gave a small nod to Emily, trying to keep things casual. “I didn’t realize you were in town, Emily.”Emily waved a hand dismissively. “It’s been a while, I know. Just came by for a quick visit. I’m in town for business, and Alex and I decided to grab a coffee.”Alex was still smiling at Ben, but Lila noticed the tension in his shoulders, the slight stiffness in his posture. It wasn’t exactly hostility, but it wasn’t the warm familiarity she’d been hoping for.“Well,” Emily said, looking at Lila now with a cool smile, “it’s lovely to meet you.” She turned back to Ben. “We should catch up sometime. You know, properly.”Lila’s heart tightened, but she kept her face neutral. “Of course. It was nice meeting you both,” she said, smiling but not fully meaning it.When Emily and Alex left, the door chimed again, and the space felt somehow smaller, more suffocating. Ben stood behind the counter, his hands gripping the edge as if he were trying to steady himself.Lila tried to ignore the knot in her stomach, but she couldn’t. “So,” she said, her voice a little sharper than she intended. “I guess that’s your business side, huh?”Ben didn’t answer immediately. He seemed lost in thought, his gaze focused on the empty space between them. Finally, he spoke, his voice a little too quiet. “She’s a part of my past, Lila. That’s all. Nothing else.”Lila nodded, but the words didn’t sit right with her. She trusted him, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was something he wasn’t telling her. Maybe he didn’t even realize it himself.“I’m not trying to hide anything,” Ben said, sensing her discomfort. “It’s just... complicated.”Lila stared at him, biting her lip. “I just... don’t know where I stand with this, Ben.”There was silence between them for a long moment, and Ben’s expression softened. “I get it,” he said quietly. “I’ll figure it out. I don’t want you to feel like... like you’re caught in the middle of my mess.”And for the first time, Lila allowed herself to believe him. But the doubt still lingered, like a shadow she couldn’t shake. And for a moment, all she could think about was the mystery muffin they’d created—a little tart, a little sweet, but not quite what she expected.