Continued from Beneath the Silence 6 : A Spark of Courage (click to read)
****
The next morning, Ethan hesitated before stepping into the coffee shop. His phone buzzed in his pocket, a text from Hannah.
Hannah: Morning! At the coffee shop. Got your usual spot saved .
He smiled, the simple message easing his nerves. Pushing the door open, he found her already seated, her coffee in one hand and a sketchbook in the other. She looked up, her face lighting up when she saw him.
“Hey,” she said, gesturing to the seat across from her. “Thought you’d never show.”
“Had to mentally prepare for your interrogation,” Ethan replied, smirking as he sat down.
Hannah laughed, her voice warm and easy. “Okay, Mr. Mysterious. Let’s start simple. Favorite movie?”
Ethan leaned back, pretending to think. “That’s a trap. You’ll judge me.”
“Only a little,” she teased.
“Fine. The Shawshank Redemption.”
Hannah grinned. “Classic. Safe choice. Mine’s Amélie.”
“French, artsy, quirky. Sounds about right,” Ethan said with a chuckle.
The conversation flowed naturally, each question peeling back another layer. Ethan learned that Hannah had a knack for capturing fleeting moments in her sketches, and she shared her dream of opening her own design studio. She discovered that Ethan, despite his reserved nature, had a dry wit and a love for quiet hikes in the mountains.
They began to meet regularly, their conversations growing deeper with each encounter. One rainy afternoon, Hannah asked, “What made you so… steady? Like, you don’t seem to let anything shake you.”
Ethan’s expression softened. “I think I had to be. After my dad passed, I felt like I had to hold everything together. It just… became a part of me.”
Hannah nodded, her heart aching at the quiet strength in his voice. “That’s a lot to carry alone.”
“I guess it is,” Ethan admitted, his gaze distant. “But you learn to make peace with it.”
“And what about you?” Ethan asked, his voice gentle. “You said you’re not great at trusting people. Why’s that?”
Hannah hesitated, her fingers tracing the rim of her cup. “Bad past relationships. Gave too much of myself to the wrong people. It left me… cautious, I guess.”
Ethan nodded, not pressing her further. Instead, he said, “Caution’s not a bad thing. It just means you know what matters now.”
Over time, their conversations became a safe space—a place where they could share fears, dreams, and everything in between. They learned each other’s rhythms, finding comfort in the small, quiet moments as much as the laughter-filled ones.
Neither of them knew where this journey would lead, but for now, they were content to let it unfold, one coffee, one conversation at a time.
PS: I have no clue of the movies... Jus googled for some old classics and picked randomly ! Don't judge me on the selections 
Link to the next part Beneath the Silence 8 : The First Crack
****
The next morning, Ethan hesitated before stepping into the coffee shop. His phone buzzed in his pocket, a text from Hannah.
Hannah: Morning! At the coffee shop. Got your usual spot saved .
He smiled, the simple message easing his nerves. Pushing the door open, he found her already seated, her coffee in one hand and a sketchbook in the other. She looked up, her face lighting up when she saw him.
“Hey,” she said, gesturing to the seat across from her. “Thought you’d never show.”
“Had to mentally prepare for your interrogation,” Ethan replied, smirking as he sat down.
Hannah laughed, her voice warm and easy. “Okay, Mr. Mysterious. Let’s start simple. Favorite movie?”
Ethan leaned back, pretending to think. “That’s a trap. You’ll judge me.”
“Only a little,” she teased.
“Fine. The Shawshank Redemption.”
Hannah grinned. “Classic. Safe choice. Mine’s Amélie.”
“French, artsy, quirky. Sounds about right,” Ethan said with a chuckle.
The conversation flowed naturally, each question peeling back another layer. Ethan learned that Hannah had a knack for capturing fleeting moments in her sketches, and she shared her dream of opening her own design studio. She discovered that Ethan, despite his reserved nature, had a dry wit and a love for quiet hikes in the mountains.
They began to meet regularly, their conversations growing deeper with each encounter. One rainy afternoon, Hannah asked, “What made you so… steady? Like, you don’t seem to let anything shake you.”
Ethan’s expression softened. “I think I had to be. After my dad passed, I felt like I had to hold everything together. It just… became a part of me.”
Hannah nodded, her heart aching at the quiet strength in his voice. “That’s a lot to carry alone.”
“I guess it is,” Ethan admitted, his gaze distant. “But you learn to make peace with it.”
“And what about you?” Ethan asked, his voice gentle. “You said you’re not great at trusting people. Why’s that?”
Hannah hesitated, her fingers tracing the rim of her cup. “Bad past relationships. Gave too much of myself to the wrong people. It left me… cautious, I guess.”
Ethan nodded, not pressing her further. Instead, he said, “Caution’s not a bad thing. It just means you know what matters now.”
Over time, their conversations became a safe space—a place where they could share fears, dreams, and everything in between. They learned each other’s rhythms, finding comfort in the small, quiet moments as much as the laughter-filled ones.
Neither of them knew where this journey would lead, but for now, they were content to let it unfold, one coffee, one conversation at a time.
Link to the next part Beneath the Silence 8 : The First Crack
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Not fair. You need to pay penalty. 
