Rowan 6
Rowan
I watched Eli disappear down the street through the café window.
My mind struggled to catch up to the fact that he was actually here.
I usually made the trip to London, not the other way around, and then it would be months before he reached out again.
He did sometimes pop in without warning, but to do it this soon –
Marcus's voice pulled me back. "Everything okay?"
I tried to shake off any lingering thoughts of Eli. "Yeah, I'm fine."
He tilted his head slightly as he studied me. "You've gone quiet."
I had to force a smile. "I ... just wasn't expecting to see him. It's been a while since he's come around."
Marcus leaned back with his usual easy expression, but it looked a little strained this time. "He didn't even tell you he was coming?"
"No. But that's just Eli. He's spontaneous. Always has been."
"Right. I guess that's how it is with friends who go way back, eh?"
"Yeah, pretty much." I picked up my pen and fiddled with it, trying to shake the weird tension. "It's not a big deal. He'll be busy with his own stuff while he's here, anyway."
His gaze lingered on me just a bit too long before he spoke again. His voice stayed casual, though there was something underneath it that I couldn't quite place. "Funny how that works, isn't it? Makes you think about how much has changed."
I frowned a little. "What do you mean?"
He shrugged. "Someone shows up out of the blue, and you're reminded of a different version of yourself. A version you've moved on from."
A flicker of panic shot through me. Did Marcus think there was something between me and Eli? Had I given myself away?
I felt my shoulders tense, but I forced myself to stay calm. Even so, my smile came out a little tight. "It's not like that. He'll be here for a few days, maybe a week, and then he'll go about his business. Like he was never here."
His face softened as he reached out to squeeze my hand. He almost looked amused. "Relax. I trust you. I just want you to be careful, okay?"
That was close.
The adrenaline made my stomach twist, but I did my best to push the anxiety back down.
* * *
The next morning, I woke up to bright sunlight stabbing through the curtains – right into my eyes.
I groaned and turned over to bury my face in the pillow and block it out.
Typical. Even the sun was conspiring to force me out of bed earlier than I wanted.
After a little while, I gave in and sat up, blinking away the haziness of sleep.
I reached for my phone and squinted at the screen. Not quite 7:30. I still had some time. I could probably sneak in fifteen more minutes –
No. If I did that, I'd oversleep. Better just get up now.
I rubbed a hand over my face. Why did I still feel so tired? I went to bed at my normal time.
When I felt a little more awake, I headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. The hot water helped clear the fog from my head, and I let myself zone out for a few minutes. Once I was dressed, I grabbed my things and headed out.
The mild morning air woke me up a bit more as I walked to the deli where Eli and I had agreed to meet.
It was the same spot where we used to hang out as teenagers, though it had changed a bit over the years.
New paint, new tables, but the same familiar scent of baked goods and sandwiches met me as soon as I stepped inside.
I spotted Eli right away, sitting by the window with a mug of coffee in front of him. He looked up when I walked in and flashed me a grin. "Morning!"
I slid into the seat across from him. "You're chipper today. Must've slept well."
"Like a rock."
I smiled, trying to shake off the lingering sleepiness. I didn't want my bad night to interfere with my time with him. We didn't often get to just sit down and talk, and I wanted to make the most of it. Despite that, I had to stifle a yawn.
Eli took a sip of his coffee and gave me a curious look over the mug. "You sure you're awake? You look like you need another hour of sleep. Or a lot of caffeine."
I huffed a small laugh. "Yeah, maybe. Just didn't sleep great, I guess."
He nodded but didn't press the issue. After a moment, he leaned back in his seat with a lopsided grin. "So. Marcus, huh?"
I tensed. "What about him?"
"I'm just curious. How's that going? You two been together long?"
I did my best to keep my voice even. "A few months. He's ... attentive. Thoughtful, actually."
"Yeah? Sounds like he's looking out for you."
"He does. It's ... nice."
"Good. Glad to hear it."
I tried not to read too much into his tone, but the way he said all of that made me pause. Eli didn't usually pry about my relationships, and for a second, I wondered why he was so curious about Marcus. He was probably just trying to make small talk, but it still felt a little off.
"Why do you ask?" Though I did my best to keep my words casual, I heard a hint of defensiveness creep in.
If Eli noticed, he didn't let on. "Just a little surprised. I didn't realise you were seeing anyone. You usually mention that kind of thing."
"Yeah, well... It's still kind of new. I didn't think it was worth mentioning yet."
He nodded, and an awkward quiet set in. I wasn't sure why I felt uncomfortable all of a sudden, but the way Eli kept glancing at me made me feel like he was trying to figure something out.
Before I could ask, he broke the silence with a smile. "You look good, though. Happier than the last time I saw you."
That comment got to me in a way I didn't expect. "You think so?"
"Yeah. You seem more settled."
For some reason, that made my face warm. It almost felt like I'd been caught moving on when I wasn't supposed to. Eli would never see me that way, though, and I knew that. I came to terms with it a long time ago.
At least, I thought I had. Hearing him acknowledge that I seemed more settled, like I'd finally gotten my life together without him being the centre of it, made my chest tighten.
I cleared my throat. "You know what? I think I do need caffeine. Be right back." I pushed away from the table and headed for the counter before he could say anything. I needed a minute to get my head on straight.
When I came back with my drink, Eli took the conversation elsewhere. The earlier tension seemed to fade as we moved on to lighter topics – work, school memories, the kind of banter we'd always fall into whenever we met up.
Eli had a way of making me forget about everything else when we talked, pulling me back into the comfort of our friendship like no time had passed.
We laughed about the dumb things we did as teenagers, like Eli sneaking into the cinema while I was working and getting caught by the owner.
He was never good at sneaking around, especially when his loud, uncontrollable laughter gave him away.
By the time we finished breakfast, we'd found our old rhythm again. Eli mentioned he planned to stay longer this time and that we should meet up later in the week, maybe for lunch or a drink. I agreed.
He glanced at his phone and made a face. "I should probably head out. Got a few things to do today."
I nodded. "Yeah, no worries. Just let me know when you're free."
"Sure." He gave me one of those easy grins before standing up and walking away.
As I watched him leave, that old familiar warmth rose in my chest. Spending time with him always felt easy. But as the door closed behind him, the feeling turned into a strange mix of contentment and unease.
Eli had been a constant in my life since I first moved here as a teen. Someone I could always count on. But now, with Marcus in the picture, things felt off-kilter. And I couldn't tell if that was because of Marcus or because of me.
When I got back to my flat, a stuffy late morning heat was already starting to set in. I dropped my keys onto the table by the door, the familiar clatter grounding me for a moment. A hint of guilt crept in when I realised I forgot to tell Marcus I was meeting Eli.
I half-expected to find a message from Marcus when I checked my phone, but there was nothing. After a second, I sent a quick text: Just got back from breakfast with Elias. What time are you free later?
His reply came pretty quickly: Glad you got to catch up. Free around 4. Grab an early dinner?
I let out a breath, relieved at his normal response. Guess I was overthinking it. Marcus just liked to check in and make sure I was okay. Maybe more than I was used to, but that wasn't a bad thing.
Sounds good. See you then. I hit send and plugged my phone in to charge, then flopped onto the sofa.
As I sat in the silence, my mind kept replaying bits of my conversation with Eli. His curiosity about Marcus still bothered me. I almost wondered if I detected a hint of jealousy in his words, but I knew that was wishful thinking. He was just surprised I never mentioned Marcus.
My phone buzzed and jolted me out of my thoughts. When I went to check it and saw the time, I was startled to see that I'd wasted an hour. There was also a notification for another message from Marcus: Looking forward to later. Miss you.
I smiled. I missed him, too. Marcus always seemed to know what I needed before I did. It caught me off guard sometimes, but I couldn't deny it felt good to have someone like that around. I just needed to focus on what was right in front of me.