A Coffee and Chaos

I closed my eyes as I picked up the call.

"Where are you?" Noah asked.

"No greeting, no warm pleasantries. Just common Noah." I replied.

"It's been thirty minutes since Mary Anne informed you," 

I answered, looking to hold my voice regularly. "I'll be there once I need to be."

"Change of plans," he said flatly. "Meet me at Cons Cafe."

I couldn’t prevent myself. "Your cafe? What’s the catch?" My tone dripped with sarcasm.

"Be there in twenty minutes."

The line went lifeless before I could respond. He in no way allowed me to hang up first.

"Who became that, Jenny?" Lewis’s voice startled me.

I had forgotten he was still in the kitchen with me. My palms drummed nervously on the counter.

"Noah," I said finally. "He referred to you earlier at the same time as you have been asleep. He desires to use the cash I owe him as leverage."

Lewis stiffened at Noah’s call but forced a giggle. "You’ve saved sufficient. Pay him off and close him up."

"He desires to meet now. At his cafe."

Lewis leaned lower back, crossing his fingers. "Then pass. I’d include you, however you know the way that’d quit. Just manage it."

I nodded, hiding the unease gnawing at me. Lewis already had enough to cope with. The last component he wished to become my troubles piling onto his personal life.

After downing the remaining lukewarm sip of my espresso, I dumped the relaxation within the sink and grabbed my purse.

The second I stepped into Cons Cafe, a wave of nostalgia hit me. It seemed precisely the same polished tiles that gleamed like new, unblemished wood cabinets, and the equal familiar faces behind the counter.

Mark, the fellow at the counter, observed me without delay. His blue eyes lit up as he greeted me with an overzealous grin.

"Miss Roosevelt!" he said, practically shouting. At least, he remembered I changed into divorced and didn’t pity me for it.

"Morning, Mark," I stated. "Is Mr. Hernandez around?"

His expression shifted as I used Noah's formal identity.

"Yes, he’s outside. Private lounge, the one facing the road."

"Thanks," I replied with a small smile and began to leave.

But Mark’s voice stopped me.

"Jenny?" His tone became softer now, tinged with remorse. "About the final time... I’m sorry for kissing you."

I hesitated, then gave him a reassuring smile. "It’s fine. It turned into a mistake. It won’t show up once more."

He smiled, returned, and walked away. The sound of my heels clicking towards the tiles gave me a fleeting experience of self-belief.

I discovered Noah in the private lounge, just as Mark had said. He sat together with his PC open but closed it the instant he noticed me. His green eyes scanned me from head to toe, his expression unreadable.

"You wanted to see me," I stated, sitting down before he should offer. His eyebrows shot up, sincerely noting the confidence of my move.

"What would you like to have?" he asked, his voice as easy and commanding as ever.

"Nothing. Let’s get immediately to the point I’m past due for work."

"You have a job now?" His query became loaded with sarcasm, but I did not note it.

He didn’t look ahead to an answer, ordering his normal espresso instead. I bit my tongue, resisting the urge to comment. Noah’s espresso becomes as bitter and sturdy as the person himself.

I stared at the table, avoiding his gaze. I knew he changed into looking at me.

"I have an offer for you," he ultimately said.

"I’m not involved," I answered quickly. "And don’t worry, you’ll get your cash soon."

A smirk tugged at his lips. "Are you positive? A diamond ring or gold jewelry wouldn’t hurt, might they?"

My throat tightened. I could nearly sense the weight of the diamond ring I’d as soon as worn the one I’d thrown lower back at him.

"I’m very positive," I said, standing up.

Just as I grew to depart, chaos erupted.

A reporter seemed out of nowhere, microphone in hand. A cameraman followed near the back.

"Excuse me, ma’am," she began, her tone sharp. "How does it feel to nonetheless rely on Noah Hernandez even after your divorce?"

I iced up. 'What?"

"No remark," I stated firmly, trying to stroll away.

Another reporter blocked my path. "How do you sense Noah Hernandez discovering your affair?"

Affair? My chest tightened as if an iron fist had wrapped around my lungs, making it impossible to breathe. Yet, I forced my hands to remain steady on the wheel and drove past them. The world outside the car blurred, but their faces, locked in their intimate conversation, were burned into my memory.

"Excuse me!" a third voice suddenly cut in, sharp and accusing. "What do you have to say to human beings calling you a mendacity cheat?" 

Her words were like shards of glass slicing through my barely composed exterior. I felt the anger boil beneath my skin, raw and volatile.

"Leave me alone!" I snapped, my voice trembling with frustration as I shoved her aside, desperate to escape the confrontation. 

And then it happened. 

A vehicle, speeding recklessly down the road, barreled directly toward the reporter I’d just pushed. 

Her scream pierced the air, a sound so primal and filled with terror that it sent chills down my spine. Time seemed to warp, stretching each second into an eternity as the car struck her with a sickening thud. 

She was flung into the air, her body twisting unnaturally before hitting the ground with a lifeless finality. The impact echoed in my ears, drowning out all other sounds. 

Time froze. 

I stood rooted in place, my body trembling as the horrific scene replayed in my mind. "Noah!" I screamed, my voice cracking with panic as I turned to him. But he stood there, motionless. His face was as cold and unreadable as ever, a stark contrast to the chaos unfolding around us.

"Noah, do something!" I yelled, desperation thick in my voice. But his eyes, devoid of emotion, never wavered from the scene before him.

Tears stung my eyes, blurring my vision as I bolted toward the woman. My heart hammered violently against my ribs, the adrenaline coursing through me making it hard to think. 

I stumbled as I reached her, my knees hitting the pavement beside her crumpled body. The stillness of her form was unbearable. My hands hovered over her, unsure of what to do. Blood pooled beneath her, its stark crimson spreading rapidly against the cold, gray asphalt.

"Help!" I cried out, my voice breaking. "Somebody, please help!" 

But the street remained eerily silent, save for the distant hum of traffic. The world around me felt surreal, like I was trapped in a nightmare I couldn’t wake from. 

My trembling hands reached for her pulse, but I already knew. The light in her eyes was gone. A sob tore from my throat, raw and uncontrollable. I looked back at Noah, silently pleading for him to move, to react, to feel. But he didn’t. He just stood there, as cold and detached as ever.