Alex ordered a cup of coffee and remained standing at the counter, watching as Aylin prepared his drink with quiet concentration.

  “Sir, you can go and sit at a table,” she said without looking up.

  Alex leaned forward slightly, smirking. “Don’t call me ‘sir.’ My name is Alex. And if I sit, will you come and serve me personally?”

  Aylin lowered her gaze, her fingers steady as she continued making his coffee.

  Before she could respond, a voice chimed in from behind. “Are you picking on her again, kid?” James, the café’s co-owner, walked past with a tray of cupcakes balanced in his hands. “Come up with something better, would you?” He shot Alex a knowing look and disappeared into the back with a smirk.

  Alex exhaled, shaking his head in amusement. He stepped behind the counter, reaching for the coffee cup just as Aylin finished preparing it. She tried to pull back, but his hand lightly grazed hers as he set the cup down on the counter.

  “What are you—”

  “I’m going to make you the happiest person alive,” he said with an air of certainty.

  Aylin hesitated, stealing a glance at James. The older man had noticed them, but he pretended not to see anything, continuing his work as if nothing was happening.

  Before she could object, Alex grabbed her wrist and led her out of the café.

  James watched them go, his eyes following their retreating figures until they disappeared into the city lights. A customer noticed his lingering gaze.

  “What are you looking at?”

  James smiled to himself. “Nothing… Just that something’s about to change.”

  Aylin was exhausted by the time Alex finally stopped running. He had pulled her all the way to the beach near his school, and now she stood there, bent over, hands resting on her knees as she tried to catch her breath. The cool night breeze carried the sound of crashing waves, filling the silence between them.

  “Why are you doing this?” she asked, her voice laced with frustration.

  Alex stood with his hands in his pockets, gazing at the restless ocean. “I want you to be happy… just like these waves.”

  She straightened up, her breathing evening out. “Waves?” she repeated, finally looking at him.

  Their eyes locked—hers guarded, his unwavering. He stepped closer, gently placing a hand on her back, his fingers slipping into the strands of her soft, wavy hair. His forehead touched hers, and for a moment, everything else faded.

  “Look at them,” he murmured. “Even the smallest breeze makes them leap. That’s how I want you to be… to find happiness in the smallest things.”

  The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Aylin blinked, stepping back just slightly. “But why do you want me to be happy?”

  “Oh, that?” Alex scratched the back of his head, giving her a sheepish grin. “I don’t know.”

  She stared at him blankly. His response was so simple—so stupid—it caught her off guard.

  Alex noticed the way she tensed, and slowly, he let his hand fall away. The silence stretched between them, thick and unspoken. He hesitated before extending his hand toward her, offering… something. But Aylin didn’t take it.

  He chuckled softly, slipping his hand back into his pocket. With his other hand, he rubbed the back of his head, a teasing glint in his gray eyes.

  “Aren’t you afraid of me?” she finally asked.

  He tilted his head slightly. “Afraid? Why would I be?”

  “You don’t know anything about me.”

  His expression softened. “I don’t need to.”

  “You should,” she said, her voice quieter now. “It’s better if you do.”

  Alex’s eyes widened slightly at the weight of her words. Did she… want him to dig into her past? He narrowed his gaze in thought, then suddenly turned toward the ocean.

  The waves crashed against the shore as he cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted, “AYLIN!”

  She stopped in her tracks, startled.

  Alex lowered his hands, grinning like an idiot. The wind tousled his silver hair, and under the moonlight, his expression was one of pure, boyish mischief.

  Aylin sighed, shaking her head. “You’re impossible.”

  She turned away, her footprints imprinted on the soft, sluggish sand.

  Alex watched her retreating figure, his smile never fading.

  Maybe he didn’t know everything about her. Maybe she was hiding something. But at this moment, he didn’t care.

  All he cared about was making her smile.

  Even if just for a little while.

  The café was empty, the soft hum of the refrigerator and the faint ticking of the clock the only sounds filling the space. Aylin wiped down the last table, her movements slow and methodical. It was late, and the evening air seeped in through the open door.

  She sighed and walked toward it, reaching out to close it—

  But just as her fingers touched the handle, a small figure suddenly appeared in front of her.

  A boy, covered in mud from head to toe.

  Aylin gasped but quickly pulled him inside, shutting the door behind them. Dropping to her knees, she took the hem of her apron and gently wiped the dirt from his round, black eyes, his soft cheeks smeared with grime.

  “What are you doing here at this hour?” she asked, concern evident in her voice.

  The boy’s dark eyes darted around the shop before landing on her. “If I came earlier, that lady would’ve yelled at you again.”

  Aylin froze for a moment, her fingers stilling against his skin. Then, with a sigh, she brushed his messy hair back.

  “Come on,” she said, standing up. “Sit down. I’ll get you something to eat.”

  She led him to a table and placed a plate of biscuits and cakes in front of him. The boy’s face lit up as he eagerly took a bite, but his eyes never left her as she continued wiping the counters.

  “You have beautiful eyes,” he suddenly said between bites.

  Aylin glanced at him, startled. Then, she smiled softly. “You do, too.”

  The boy scrunched his nose. “But my eyes are black. Everyone has black eyes.”

  Her hands stilled on the cloth she was holding. She bit her lower lip, debating her words carefully before walking over to him.

  “That’s not true,” she said gently, kneeling beside him. “Your eyes… they hold something deep inside, something that can’t be revealed so easily.”

  He blinked at her, confused.

  “And I love the way they light up when you eat,” she added with a teasing smile.

  The boy blushed, quickly turning his gaze away as he stuffed another biscuit into his mouth.

  Aylin chuckled, shutting her eyes for a brief moment. Relief washed over her—she had found the right words. She didn’t want him to feel insecure about himself.

  When she finished cleaning up, she carefully placed the café’s earnings in the drawer, switched off the lights, and locked the door behind her. Stepping outside, she wrapped her arms around herself as the night breeze brushed against her skin.

  Now, all that was left was to wait.

  James would be here to pick her up soon.

  She gazed up at the dark sky, her thoughts lingering on the small boy who had unexpectedly walked into her quiet evening.

  Something about him…

  It reminded her of a past she had long tried to forget.