The Wallflower
908 Words
A week has passed, and Sophia finds herself sitting in the same café again, stirring her coffee absently, trying to focus on her work, but her thoughts are elsewhere. She’s been visiting more often lately, hoping to run into Liam. She doesn’t even need to check her watch—she knows the timing by heart. Sure enough, a few moments later, she sees him walk in, coffee in hand, his usual worn jeans and work boots a stark contrast to her tailored blouse and slacks. He caught her eye almost immediately, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
With a grin, setting his coffee on the table.
“I swear, it’s like you’re always here when I am.”
Chuckling, taking a seat across from her.
“You’re not that hard to find. Besides, I don’t mind running into you.”
There’s a brief moment of silence as they both settle into their seats, the casualness of their banter lingering in the air. But as the seconds pass, a quiet tension forms between them, something unspoken hanging in space.
After a beat, trying to break the silence, her voice got a little softer.
“So, what’s new? Anything exciting at the construction site?”
Shrugging, his eyes were thoughtful.
“Same old, same old. Hard work, early mornings, heavy lifting.” He smiles, but there’s a hint of something deeper in his tone, as if there’s more he’s not saying.
“You know, just... getting through the day.”
Nodding, sensing the subtle shift in his mood, and leaning forward a little.
“I get it. I guess I’ve been getting through my days too. Lots of studying, lots of pressure, but nothing... real. Just... deadlines and expectations. It feels like I’m constantly chasing something I’m not even sure I want anymore.”
Liam looks at her closely, his gaze steady, almost as if he’s searching for the right words.
After a moment, his voice was quieter, more deliberate.
“Yeah, I can see that. I get the pressure part... but... I don’t know. I think it’s different for me. I’m not chasing anything. I’m just trying to make it through the day, do my job, find some peace in the little things.” He meets her eyes, his voice a little more earnest now.
“But that doesn’t mean I don’t get it. You’re stuck in a world where you have to keep proving yourself all the time, right?”
Sighing, her shoulders relax slightly as she leans back in her chair.
“Exactly. It’s all about appearances. Everything’s a competition—who’s got the better internship, the fancier friends, the flashier clothes.” She laughs softly, but there’s a bitterness in her voice.
“I’m so tired of it. I just... I want something real, you know? Something that feels like it’s mine, not something everyone else tells me I should want.”
Nodding, his voice firm, yet gentle.
“I get that. For me, it’s all about the work—the job itself. It’s hard, but at the end of the day, I know I’ve earned it. Nothing fake about it. Nothing to prove to anyone but myself. (He pauses, and his eyes soften.” But I think, maybe, you’re looking for something that feels like you’ve earned it too.
Sophia looks at him, her eyes softening as she processes his words. There’s an understanding between them now—something that feels like the distance between their worlds might not be as far as she thought.
Speaking slowly, as if testing the thought.
“Maybe I am. I don’t know how to get there, though. I’ve spent so long living by everyone else’s rules, it’s hard to even know where to start.”
Leaning in slightly, his tone is more personal now, almost as if they’re confiding in each other.
“I think... the starting point is knowing that you’re not alone in that. You might feel different from everyone around you, but maybe that’s because you’re looking for something more than what they’re looking for.” He pauses, then gives her a small, reassuring smile.
“And that’s okay. You don’t have to have it all figured out right now.”
Her gaze lingered on him, the words resonating with her more deeply than she expected.
“It’s funny. We come from such different worlds, but it feels like you get it more than anyone else I’ve talked to.”
Shrugging, looking down at his coffee for a moment, then meeting her eyes again.
“Maybe that’s because... when you strip everything away, we’re not all that different. We’re both just trying to figure out what matters.”
Softly, her voice was quiet but filled with sincerity.
“I think you’re right.” She smiles, the connection between them growing stronger, more tangible now.
Smiling back, his voice was a little lighter.
“Hey, if you ever want to escape all that, just let me know. I’m pretty good at keeping things simple.”
Laughing lightly, her heartfelt lighter as well.
“I might just take you up on that offer.”
They both sit back, the conversation flowing into a more relaxed rhythm, each of them realizing that, despite the differences in their lives, there’s something real here—something neither of them expected. The gap that once felt so wide between them now seems a little easier to cross.
- Writer
