Another day passed. Sera… she had completely changed since that moment at the hospital when she saw Liam with Clara.
She no longer replied to Liam's messages.
She didn't go to the café,
Nor to the park,
She didn't even answer his calls.
Sera had made a decision: she would avoid him. Every time she saw Liam in front of the florist, she pretended to be talking on the phone with someone, her eyes carefully avoiding his, her hands gripping the phone like it was a shield.
"Sera… want to go to the café tonight?" It was Stella.
"Hmm… café? I don't think so. I need to clear my mind. I'll just sleep tonight. And it looks like it's going to rain, so don't forget your umbrellas."
"Alright then. Usually, you're the most excited to go to the café."
"Yeah… I'm just tired. Want to sleep early." Sera tried to laugh lightly, her voice hollow. It was a laugh meant to mask the storm inside her.
"Sera, can you watch the cashier for a moment? I need to go to the restroom. Feels like there's a bomb in my stomach." Maria ran quickly toward the restroom while Stella and Sera shared a fleeting laugh.
The doorbell rang, and a few customers entered, browsing the bread. Sera's eyes wandered over the shelves and stopped on someone she knew all too well. Liam. His gaze met hers, heavy, unreadable, almost pleading. He moved closer, slowly, cautiously.
Sera's hand froze over the cash register for a heartbeat, before she forced herself to smile—the polite, practiced smile she gave strangers.
"Welcome. How can I help you today?" Her voice was calm, but inside, her heart was hammering, chest tight.
Liam stepped closer, hesitation in his every movement. "Are you really going to speak to me like that?"
She kept her eyes on the screen, trying to make herself small, trying to be someone else entirely. "Sir, have you decided what you would like to order?"
"Don't do this," he said softly, voice trembling with emotion. "Please."
Her chest tightened painfully, but she didn't let it show. She pressed a button on the register, grabbed a paper bag. "Today we have fresh croissants. Or maybe—"
"Stop pretending," he interrupted, voice breaking. "I know you saw me at the hospital. I can explain."
"I don't need your explanation," Sera said sharply, sharper than she intended. She swallowed hard, blinked rapidly, and forced her voice to remain steady. "Please… I have a lot to do. If you want to order, go ahead. If not, I need to serve the next customer."
Her words struck like a knife. She could see it in his face—how his expression dimmed, how his chest rose and paused, as if the air itself had been stolen from him.
But what else could she do? If she let him speak, if she let herself hear, she feared her heart would betray her again. His words might wound her further. So she turned away, busying herself with trays and receipts, pretending the weight of his gaze didn't sear her back.
For the first time, she desperately wished that fate had made a mistake—made a misstep that left them in this puzzle of longing and fear she couldn't solve. Loving him hurt more than losing him.
"Please wrap this bread," Liam said quietly, picking a loaf from near the counter. Sera processed the payment swiftly, her hands shaking slightly, and handed him the wrapped bread.
"The next customer…" Liam's steps felt unbearably heavy as he moved toward the door, but he had no choice but to leave.
He paused at the doorway, glancing back at Sera. She smiled politely at another customer, hiding the storm inside. And inside, she silently cursed herself:
What did you expect, Liam? You have no clear status. She has every right to pull away from you. If only I had a bit of courage… maybe I would be holding him close right now instead of standing here watching him leave.
Her heart ached, trapped between longing and self-protection, and in that moment, Sera realized just how fragile her own heart had become—capable of breaking over someone she had no right to.