The rain had just stopped when Ethan Cole pushed open the door of the old city library.81Please respect copyright.PENANA4xkLoxNaI8
It smelled of paper, dust, and silence — the kind of silence that doesn’t feel empty, but peaceful. He wasn’t there to read anything special; he was just escaping the noise of the world outside.
And then he saw her.
She was sitting by the window, sunlight spilling through the glass, dancing on her hair like threads of gold. A cup of untouched coffee rested beside her, and her eyes — deep, lost, quiet — moved slowly across the lines of a book.
For a second, Ethan forgot to breathe.
He didn’t even know her name, yet something inside him shifted, quietly and completely. It wasn’t love at first sight — it was something softer, gentler, like the beginning of a song he’d heard before but could never remember the words to.
She turned a page. He turned his heart.
Ethan walked past her table, pretending to search for a book he didn’t need. Every time he stole a glance, he noticed something new — the way her lips curved slightly when she read something she liked, the tiny scar near her wrist, the calmness in her presence that made the world slow down.
For the first time in years, silence didn’t feel lonely.
When he finally found the courage to look at her again, she looked up — straight into his eyes.81Please respect copyright.PENANA5strRxAOJe
It was only a second, but it felt infinite.
Her gaze held a question. His heart had no answer.81Please respect copyright.PENANA84Mm6kVxnr
And just like that, she smiled — small, fragile, unforgettable.
Then she stood up, placed her book on the counter, and walked away.
Ethan wanted to call out, but his voice stayed behind with her shadow.81Please respect copyright.PENANAjiz37DYfsM
The sound of her footsteps faded, but her presence lingered like perfume in the air.
He looked at the book she left on the table — “Letters Never Sent.”81Please respect copyright.PENANAuDhxS4uScJ
On the first page, there was a small note in handwriting that wasn’t hers.
“Sometimes, the right person comes at the wrong time.”
Ethan smiled painfully. He didn’t even know her name.81Please respect copyright.PENANAy3E1CpOFhX
But he knew this wasn’t the end — not yet.
Outside, the rain began again.81Please respect copyright.PENANA9WRC9y5EyW
And somewhere in the city, she probably looked up at the same gray sky — wondering if someone, somewhere, had felt the same silence she did.


