The café suddenly felt too small.
Too warm.
Too crowded.
Arman stood at the pickup counter pretending to wait for his coffee, but his attention was completely fixed on the man beside him.
The killer.
He looked ordinary.
Average height. Dark jacket. Slight stubble along his jaw. The kind of face that blended easily into a crowd.
Which somehow made it worse.
Because someone like that could disappear anywhere.
Samantha stood beside Arman, frozen.
Her eyes never left the man.
"That's him," she whispered.
Arman nodded slightly without looking at her.
"I know."
"His voice," she said quietly. "It's the same."
Arman's hands curled slightly on the counter.
"Stay calm."
"I am calm."
"You don't sound calm."
"I'm a ghost. I'm doing my best."
Despite the tension, the corner of Arman's mouth twitched.
Then the barista placed a cup on the counter.
"Black coffee."
Arman grabbed it automatically.
The killer reached forward at the same time to collect his own drink.
For a moment, they stood shoulder to shoulder.
Close enough to feel the heat from each other's presence.
Arman forced himself to glance casually toward him.
The man's eyes lifted.
Their gazes met.
A small, polite nod passed between two strangers.
But something in the man's expression lingered.
Like he was studying Arman.
Then, his eyes shifted slightly.
To the empty space beside him.
Where Samantha stood.
Arman felt it immediately.
That subtle movement.
That pause.
Samantha stopped breathing.
"He's looking at me," she whispered.
Arman tried to stay calm.
"He's probably just looking around."
But even as he said it...
He knew that wasn't true.
Because the man's gaze stayed there.
Focused.
Careful.
Curious.
Then the man spoke.
Not to Arman.
Not to anyone.
Just casually, like he was thinking out loud.
"Funny thing about cafés," he said.
Arman glanced at him.
The man continued stirring his coffee slowly.
"You sit down alone… but sometimes it feels like someone's standing next to you."
Samantha's eyes widened.
Arman's stomach tightened.
The man lifted the cup to his lips and took a slow sip.
Then he looked directly at Arman again.
"You ever get that feeling?"
Arman forced a small shrug.
"Sometimes."
The man smiled faintly.
But his eyes flicked sideways again.
Right at Samantha.
This time there was no mistake.
He saw her.
Samantha took a step backward instinctively.
Her voice trembled.
"He knows."
Arman leaned slightly closer to the counter.
Trying to look relaxed.
Inside, his pulse was racing.
The man placed his coffee lid back on.
Then spoke again.
"Your girlfriend seems quiet."
The words dropped into the air like a stone into deep water.
Arman froze.
Samantha stared at the man in shock.
He had said it so casually.
Like it was the most normal thing in the world.
Arman forced out a laugh.
"I'm here alone."
The man's eyes stayed steady.
"No," he said softly.
"You're not."
Silence swallowed the moment.
The café noises continued around them, coffee grinders, quiet conversations, chairs moving across the floor.
But in that small space between them...
Everything felt still.
The man leaned slightly closer to Arman.
His voice dropped just enough that only Arman could hear.
"You should be careful."
Arman's jaw tightened.
"Why?"
The man's gaze shifted again to Samantha.
For a long moment he simply stared at her.
Then he whispered..."Ghosts don't always stay friendly."
Samantha felt a cold chill run through her.
The man straightened.
Picked up his coffee.
And began walking toward the door.
But just before he left, he turned his head slightly.
Looking straight at Samantha.
And smiled.
Not a friendly smile.
A knowing one.
Then he walked out of the café.
The doorbell chimed softly behind him.
Samantha stood frozen.
Arman stared at the door.
His heartbeat pounding hard in his chest.
"Well," he muttered quietly.
"That's definitely the guy."
Samantha's voice trembled slightly.
"He can see me."
Arman nodded slowly.
"Yeah."
Outside the café window, the man paused on the sidewalk.
He took another sip of his coffee.
Then glanced back through the glass.
Directly at Samantha.
And this time, his smile widened.
Like he had been waiting for her to come back.