Chapter Three: Another Coffee

The café was just down the block from Jake’s apartment—a small, cozy place with mismatched furniture and the lingering scent of fresh coffee and cinnamon. It had been one of Jake’s favorite spots when he was younger, back when the town felt bigger and his life felt simpler. Now, stepping through the door with Ella by his side, he couldn’t help but feel the oddness of it all. The past and present seemed to blur, creating a strange kind of nostalgia he couldn’t quite put into words.

Ella glanced around the café with a curious smile as they approached the counter. “This place is adorable,” she said. “I think I might’ve come here once or twice when I was a teenager. But back then, I was more of a soda-and-fast-food kind of girl.”

Jake chuckled. “You’ve upgraded to coffee now, huh? Very grown-up of you.”

She grinned, nudging him playfully. “Hey, I’m a sophisticated adult now. Or at least, I try to pretend I am.”

They placed their orders—Jake went for a black coffee, as always, while Ella chose a latte with almond milk. It wasn’t lost on him how effortlessly she fit into the scene, despite the way her presence seemed to draw subtle glances from the other customers. Jake had always been good at blending into the background, but Ella… Ella had always been someone you noticed, even when she wasn’t trying to be.

They found a small table in the corner by the window, far enough from the other patrons to feel private. Ella settled into her seat with a sigh, her fingers curling around the warm cup. For a moment, they simply sat there, letting the silence stretch between them. It wasn’t awkward exactly—more like the kind of quiet that comes when you’re trying to figure out where to begin.

Jake studied her across the table. She looked… the same, yet different. Her blonde hair was styled loosely around her shoulders, and there was a natural ease to her movements. But there was something in her eyes that hadn’t been there before—a hint of weariness, maybe, or something deeper that he couldn’t quite place.

“So,” Jake began, breaking the silence, “how’s the music business treating you? You know, aside from the screaming fans and paparazzi.”

Ella’s lips quirked into a small smile, but it didn’t quite reach her eyes. “It’s... complicated,” she said, tracing the rim of her cup with her fingertip. “Don’t get me wrong—it’s amazing, everything I ever dreamed of. But it’s also... a lot. A lot more than I ever imagined it would be.”

Jake nodded, not wanting to push but curious to know more. “What do you mean?”

She hesitated for a moment, as if weighing how much she wanted to share. Finally, she sighed and leaned back in her chair. “It’s hard to explain. When you’re starting out, all you can think about is making it—getting that one big break, proving to everyone that you have what it takes. And then, when it actually happens… it’s like everything changes overnight. Suddenly, everyone knows your name. Everyone has an opinion about you—what you should wear, what you should say, what kind of person you should be. It’s exhausting, trying to keep up with all of it.”

Jake frowned, his chest tightening at the vulnerability in her voice. He had always admired her drive, her passion, but it hadn’t occurred to him just how much pressure came with that kind of success. “Yeah, that sounds… overwhelming.”

“It is,” Ella admitted. “And lonely, sometimes. You start to wonder who’s really there for you and who’s just… there for the spotlight.” She paused, her gaze dropping to her cup. “Honestly, that’s one of the reasons I wanted to come back here. I needed to get away from all of it for a while. I needed to feel like myself again.”

Jake’s throat tightened. He hadn’t expected her to open up like this—not so soon, anyway. But then again, this was Ella. She had always been honest, always worn her heart on her sleeve. It was one of the things he had always loved about her.

“Well,” he said softly, “if it helps, you seem pretty real to me. Fame hasn’t changed that.”

Her eyes lifted to meet his, and for a moment, there was something unspoken between them—a flicker of gratitude, or maybe relief. “Thanks, Jake,” she said quietly. “That means a lot.”

They lapsed into silence again, but this time, it felt lighter, more comfortable. Jake sipped his coffee, letting his thoughts wander. He couldn’t help but think about how different their lives had turned out—Ella, the superstar, and him, just a guy from their hometown who never really left. And yet, sitting here with her, it didn’t feel like there was a gap between them. It felt like old times, like they were just Jake and Ella again.

“So,” Ella said suddenly, breaking the quiet, “enough about me. What about you? What have you been up to all these years?”

Jake blinked, caught off guard by the question. “Me? Oh, nothing nearly as exciting as your life.”

“I doubt that,” she said with a teasing smile. “Come on, tell me.”

He hesitated, feeling a little self-conscious. “Well, I’m still here in town. I work at a marketing firm now—nothing glamorous, but it pays the bills. And like we talked about yesterday, I do write from time to time.”

Ella’s eyes lit up. “I love that you still write. I always knew that you’d stick with it.”

He shrugged, his cheeks warming under her praise. “It’s just a hobby.”

“Still,” she said, leaning forward slightly. “It’s something you love, right? That’s what matters.”

He smiled, feeling a warmth in his chest that he hadn’t felt in a long time. She still believed in him, even after all these years. It was a small thing, but it meant more to him than he could put into words.

The conversation shifted after that, moving to lighter topics—memories from their childhood, stories from Ella’s tours, even a few embarrassing moments they teased each other about. The laughter came easily, and for a little while, it was like no time had passed at all.

But as they sat there, sharing pieces of themselves and their lives, Jake couldn’t shake the feeling that this moment was something special. Something he didn’t want to lose.