8x featured | A pick your own genre / version story. Choose between a sweet ChickLit love story or a mind-bending Thriller Romance.
When a grumpy billionaire fake dates a sunshine barista to understand how love works, they are forced to face the mon...
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(Oliver's Version)
He tries not to look in the direction of the coffee shop whenever he passes by but his eyes always settle on that particular spot. The emotions work in a repeating pattern - a glint of hope in his eye that maybe today will be the day the café finally opens. A silent prayer on his lips for everything to be just like before, his favourite coffee and she's the one making it. Once he has bargained enough comes the long awaited response when the 'Closed' sign slaps him across the face again.
He recollects the note stuck by the door the first time he had heard about the accident. 'The shop will open again soon enough.' Those few words had given him enough faith. That one line was enough to drive him insane with imagination. But all he could do was wait.
A little voice in his head told him that in his cycle through the stages of grief, acceptance wasn't coming anytime soon. After all, it had been 2 whole days and he had been on this road multiple times now, when he had no real reason to be here anyway. Other than the one he wasn't ready to admit. Much to his surprise and frustration, he caught himself walking on the same path again today, well aware that it would lead him to a fruitless despair. But somehow, not trying felt even worse.
He tried his best not to look. His hands were clenched into fists so that he wouldn't habitually try to open the visibly closed doors again. He swallowed once, not wanting the reminisce of the bitter coffee's aftertaste to lure him. Everything was in control this time, he reminded himself. He wasn't going to walk himself into the same trap, to read the same message over and over that would fill him with a hollowing sense of dread each time. 'Sorry, we're closed due to an accident.'
Accident-
No, he wasn't going to think about it and spiral. Not this time.
A sudden sound of chimes hitting against each other pulled him back from his trance. The sweet melody was much appreciated at a time like this and he stopped short in his tracks when he realised where the sound was coming from. It was the coffee shop. Surely it couldn't be-
He took a careful but eager step ahead and a grin broke on his face when he saw the sign. He had waited for this for way too long now. And today, out of nowhere, all his secret prayers were answered. The sign outside the café said 'Open' and before his eyes could deceive him again, he pushed the doors open to be greeted by the familiar feeling of comfort, of happiness, of home.
He didn't have to think twice to know what to do this time. He had rehearsed it already in most of his dreams. Rushing towards the counter, the name of his coffee was about to roll off his tongue when the words got caught in his throat. He had celebrated too soon, he realised.
For, gone was her galaxy coloured hair barista. And in her place was a new one - a man with unkempt hair and an extraordinary physique, too perfect to be a barista at all when he could easily pass off as an athlete. 'Dio', the batch on his apron read. Everything about this felt wrong. The place was exactly like before, the same aroma infiltrating his senses and making his stomach growl in hunger. But it felt different. Almost terrifying. Incomplete.
