Kai is sitting at the kitchen table, back straight, hands wrapped around a coffee mug. His uncle watches him from behind the newspaper, but he’s not reading. He’s waiting.
"Any news?" he asks, without looking up. "The Colombians want an answer."
Kai doesn’t reply right away. He stares into the dark liquid, as if the solution might be hiding there.
"We’re still looking," he finally says, voice low and tense.
His uncle folds the newspaper slowly, sets it down on the table. "Kai, don’t make me regret putting you in charge of this. You’re the one who’s supposed to take my place. Don’t forget that."
Kai clenches his jaw. The silence grows heavy. Then he snaps.
"Enough!" he shouts, raising his voice. "No one asked you anything. If you want, keep looking for whoever betrayed you. I’m doing what I can."
His uncle stares at him. Says nothing. But his gaze cuts like a blade.
Just then, the door opens. Kai’s mother walks in, smiling, tucking her hair behind her ear.
"Good morning," she says.
Kai and his uncle fall silent instantly. The quiet is too sudden to be natural.
She looks at them. "Everything okay?"
"Yes," they lie, almost in unison.
She changes the subject, but her eyes linger. "Kai, you came home late last night?"
"We were at a party," he replies, evasive.
His uncle watches him. Says nothing, but suspicion is written all over his face. Kai’s distracted. And he knows it.
Kai stands up. "I’m heading out."
"Wait, at least finish your breakfast," his mother says.
"I’m not hungry anymore." He grabs his leather jacket from the chair and leaves, slamming the door too hard.
---
The café is already packed when my shift starts. Cups clinking, voices overlapping, the smell of coffee keeping me awake. I’m serving table three when the door swings open.
Maddie.
She walks fast — the way she does when she’s anxious. She spots me, heads straight over.
"Vale, are you out of your mind?" she blurts, skipping the hello. "You didn’t answer me last night. I was worried."
"Sorry," I say, trying to smile. "I got home late, didn’t realize the time."
"But who did you go home with? That place was totally isolated, no taxis, nothing."
I freeze. My face gives me away. Maddie catches it instantly.
"Oh my God," she whispers, eyes wide, hand over her mouth. "Vale… you were with a guy?"
"Shh," I say, embarrassed. "Lower your voice."
"No no no," she insists. "I want details. Who’s the lucky guy?"
"I’ll tell you later."
"Nope, not happening." She grabs my hand and pulls me out from behind the counter. "Five minutes. I want the full story."
"Wait," I tell my coworker. "Quick break, cover for me."
We sit at a table in the back. Maddie looks at me like I’m about to confess a crime.
"So?" she says. "Who is he? Do I know him?"
I lower my voice. "Kai."
Silence.
"Kai who?" she asks. "The one I’m thinking of? The guy who used to race motorcycles?"
I nod.
"You’re kidding!" Maddie nearly shouts. "He’s the guy every girl wants."
"Don’t yell," I beg.
"Nothing happened," I add. "He just took me to this beautiful place. Isolated. You could see the whole city."
Maddie stares at me like she doesn’t recognize me. "Him?"
"Yeah. He’s not the tough guy he pretends to be."
She gets serious. "Vale, people don’t speak well of him. They say he’s mixed up in shady stuff. Be careful. I don’t want you getting hurt."
"Relax," I tell her. "There’s nothing going on between us. You know I don’t want anyone."
"For now," she says sarcastically, and laughs.
"Seriously."
I pause. Look at her. And say it.
"Still… he seems really sweet."
Maddie blinks. "Sweet?" she repeats, like she misheard.
"Yeah. He gives me the impression he’s been through a lot. I don’t know… there’s something in his eyes. Like he’s not really happy."
She tilts her head. "Vale…"
"I’m not saying I know him. But last night… when he took me to that place, he didn’t say much. Still, I don’t know… there’s something about him. It felt like he didn’t want to be alone. Like he needed someone."
Maddie bites her lip. "And you think you’re that someone?"
"No. I don’t think that. But… for a moment, it felt like he didn’t want to be alone."
She sighs. "I get it. I really do. But let me say this: don’t try to save him. That’s not your job."
"I’m not trying to save him," I reply. "It’s just… I felt something strange."
Maddie looks at me. Then smiles — a sad smile. "Vale, you’ve got too big a heart…"
"Don’t worry. I’m not trying to start anything with him," I say.
"Alright alright," she sighs. "Just be careful. And I want updates."
"There’s nothing to update."
Maddie stands. "Sorry, I’ve gotta run. Promised my mom I’d be home for my grandma’s birthday. See you tonight?"
"I can’t. I’m working late. Closing shift."
"Ugh, fine babe. Talk soon." She kisses my cheek and heads out.
---
The punching bag swings under his blows. Sharp, rhythmic, angry. Jairo holds it steady, but each hit pushes him back a little.
"You disappeared last night," he says, panting. "We were looking for you. Even Tasha was asking."
Kai doesn’t answer right away. Another punch. Then another.
"I wanted to be alone."
Jairo laughs. "You? Alone? Come on… who’s the lucky girl?"
Kai pauses. "No one."
"Don’t play mysterious," Jairo pushes. "Wait… was it that girl who raced Denny?"
Kai looks at him. Just a glance. But it’s enough.
"No way," Jairo laughs. "I knew it. So? Did you already sleep with her?"
Kai stops. Punches Jairo’s arm — not hard, but firm. "She’s not like the others."
Jairo keeps laughing, rubbing his arm. "Okay okay, I’ll shut up."
Kai pulls off his gloves. "Let’s talk business. My uncle’s breathing down my neck. Says the Colombians want their money back for the lost shipment."
Jairo gets serious. "Kai, that cargo vanished into thin air. We checked warehouses, ports, contacts. Nothing. It’ll take time."
"Time we don’t have."
"I know. But if we panic, we’ll screw up. And if we screw up, there won’t be a second chance."
Kai nods. But his mind is elsewhere — already trying to solve the unsolvable.
---
The café is empty. Finally. I’ve cleaned everything, wiped down the tables, turned off the espresso machine. I take off my apron, fold it neatly. Let my hair down — it’s been tied up all day and it’s starting to ache. I grab my bag, my jacket, the keys.
I step outside. The air is cold. I start lowering the metal shutter, slowly.
"Psss…"
I pretend not to hear. Don’t turn around. My heart speeds up.
"Working solo tonight?"
I turn. And there he is.
Kai leans against his car, leather jacket on, gaze unreadable.
"What are you doing here?" I ask, trying to sound indifferent.
"Just passing by."
"Passing by?" I repeat, crossing my arms. "At eleven p.m., outside my café?"
He smirks. "Maybe I wanted to see if you were done with your shift."
"And how did you know where I work?"
Kai shrugs, that half-smile playing on his lips. "Mmh… I always find things out."
"Oh, so you know everything about everyone?"
"Only about the ones I care about."
Silence.
"And I’m one of those?" I ask, voice low.
"Vale…" he says, stepping a little closer. "Last night, you made me forget everything. Even who I am."
"And today, did you remember?"
"Yeah. And I didn’t like it."
"Then change."
"It’s not that easy."
"I know. But don’t use me as an excuse to stay stuck."
"You’re not an excuse," he says. "You’re the only thing that makes me move."
I stand there, keys still clenched in my hand, heart undecided between racing and stopping.
Kai doesn’t say anything else. And neither do I. But something’s been said anyway. Something that doesn’t need words.
I wonder what really pulls us toward someone.
It’s not attraction. Not curiosity. It’s that invisible force that makes us search for someone’s gaze even when we shouldn’t. That need we can’t explain, but that It’s what moves us.
As if there’s a hollow inside us that recognizes the hollow in someone else.
Maybe we get close because we feel a lack.
A void that recognizes another void.
Or maybe it’s just need.
To be seen.
To be chosen.
To be felt.
And when it happens… it doesn’t matter how wrong it is.
It doesn’t matter how dangerous.
We stay in it.
Because it feels like the only place we can breathe.
In the end, we don’t choose the ones who make us feel whole.
We choose the ones who make us feel alive.
---
And you? Have you ever felt like someone was searching for you… even before they knew you?
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