Kara flicked ash into the tray, the smoke curling above her half-empty cup. The café smelled faintly of roasted beans and rain-soaked wood, the same place she'd been spending most of her quiet afternoons. Ivan was somewhere behind the bar, pulling shots for tourists, while Geenie leaned across the table chattering about some design project she was freelancing.
Carmen sat beside her, sunglasses perched on her head, looking far too at ease for someone who'd just flown in from Jakarta. Old friend, anchor in familiar waters.
Kara's phone buzzed.
She picked it up lazily, expecting Alva or her mom. But the name on the screen made her spine straighten.
Avery:Office life is never less boring. I'm stuck waiting for a meeting, slowly dying inside. You should come rescue me. Lunch on me?
Kara blinked. Once. Twice. The words burned into her brain.
She hadn't expected this. Not from Avery, the woman who always dodged, always seemed to put walls up whenever the idea of meeting came close. Kara's lips curled before she could stop it. A smile. Wide. Uncontrolled.
Geenie noticed immediately, raising a brow. "Well, well. That's not your landlord texting."
Kara shoved the phone closer to her chest, like she'd been caught stealing. "It's just… a friend."
"New friend?" Carmen's voice slid in cool, but her eyes sharpened on Kara's expression.
Kara forced a shrug, slipping her phone into her pocket as if that would erase her grin. "Yeah. Just a new friend. I'm, uh… meeting her for lunch. At the mall."
Suspicion colored Carmen's stare, like she was trying to read between the lines Kara didn't want written.
Geenie smirked, leaning back with her iced latte. "Meeting her, huh? Sounds like a lunch date to me."
Kara hummed, pretending to brush something off her jeans, but her cheeks betrayed her, hot with a flush. She spritzed herself with a bit of perfume she always carried, trying not to look too obvious about it.
"God," Geenie teased, pointing with her straw. "You're actually nervous."
Kara rolled her eyes. "Shut up."
She started gathering her things, slipping her notebook into her tote. But just as she pushed her chair back, Carmen's hand closed gently, firmly, around her wrist.
Kara froze.
"Let me drive you," Carmen said, quiet but deliberate. "I'll wait across the street. Minimarket. If anything feels weird or… off, just text me. I'll come get you."
The weight of her words sank deeper than Kara wanted to admit.
She glanced at Carmen, at the steady look in her eyes, the protective edge that wasn't just friendship. For a flicker of a second, Kara wondered if Carmen had always been this obvious, if she had chosen not to see it.
Her throat tightened.
"Carmen…"
"Don't argue." Carmen let go of her wrist but kept her gaze steady. "Just… let me be around. Okay?"
Kara nodded slowly, the smile returning but tinged with conflict. "Okay. Thanks."
And yet, as she stepped outside, cigarette stubbed out, perfume lingering on her skin, Kara couldn't stop the thought from circling:
This was supposed to be a distraction. Just a silly app. Not this. Not her heart kicking like this. Not Avery.
***
The car ride was unusually quiet. Kara sat with her bag on her lap, eyes fixed on the blur of scooters and storefronts sliding past the window. Normally, Carmen filled silence with music or stories from her office, but today she just drove, jaw tight, sunglasses hiding whatever her eyes might give away.
Kara could feel it... the tension. It clung to the air between them, heavier than the rain-humid breeze. She thought back to Jakarta, to nights when she and Carmen would laugh until dawn, fueled by cheap beer and street food, friendship as easy as slipping into old shoes. But this was different. Carmen wasn't laughing now.
When they pulled up at the mall entrance, Carmen finally spoke, voice softer but edged with something unspoken."Take care, okay? I'll wait across the street. Just… text me if you need anything."
Kara's throat bobbed as she swallowed. "Okay. Thank you, Carm."
The way Carmen's lips pressed together told Kara there was more she wanted to say, but she didn't. She just nodded once, then pulled away, leaving Kara alone at the curb with her nerves.
Kara inhaled sharply, clutching her tote like it might anchor her. She pulled out her phone.To Avery:I'm here. Gonna wait at the gourmet food court.
Her thumb hovered before flicking to another chat. Alec. Alva. She typed fast, fingers trembling.Guess what. I think I'm going on a date right now.
The word felt strange in her mouth, even just thinking it. Date. Was that what this was? She didn't know. But her heart wouldn't stop pounding, and maybe that was answer enough.
Pushing through the glass doors, Kara stepped inside. Cool air-conditioning hit her skin, carrying the faint scent of perfume and roasted coffee beans. The mall's atrium stretched wide, sunlight spilling down from skylights above. She'd been here before, wandering alone between boutiques and food stalls, pretending not to feel the emptiness.
But now... it was different.
She adjusted the strap of her bag, long hair brushing against her shoulders, and started walking. Her eyes darted automatically across storefronts with familiar logos, bright displays, a blur of strangers passing. She tried to keep her pace steady, to not look like someone whose knees were threatening to buckle.
And then her phone lit up.
Avery:I guess, I see you.
Kara froze mid-step. Her chest tightened, breath caught sharp. Her gaze swept the atrium instinctively, skin prickling as if she were suddenly under a spotlight.
She sees me.
Somewhere... she realized... Avery was here. Watching her.
And Kara, for the first time in a long time, wasn't sure if she wanted to hide or run straight toward it.