A storm and a stranger

Luna’s world was straightforward. She thrived on routine and predictability—two things that gave her comfort after years of upheaval. Her small coffee shop nestled at the edge of town offered just that, with regulars who shared friendly hellos and locals who spent quiet hours reading by the windows. Her life was hers, carefully constructed and neatly arranged.

But that night was different.

A storm had rolled in unexpectedly, sending customers scurrying home early. As the last few left, Luna began the closing routine, watching rain streak down the glass. She was almost done when the door swung open, and she looked up, startled.

A man stood there, silhouetted by the flickering streetlight. Water dripped from his dark hair, and his eyes, piercing and wild, scanned the dimly lit shop. Luna couldn’t help but feel a jolt of apprehension—and something else, a thrill she couldn’t quite place.

“I’m about to close,” she managed, trying to keep her voice steady.

The man stepped forward, his gaze intense. “Just a coffee,” he murmured, his voice a low rumble that sent a shiver down her spine.

Reluctantly, she nodded, quickly pouring him a cup. As she handed it to him, their fingers brushed, and a spark shot up her arm. His eyes narrowed slightly, as if he’d felt it too.

Luna quickly pulled her hand back. She shouldn’t feel this way—this was a stranger, after all. But something about him unsettled her, as though she were standing at the edge of a cliff and only one small push would send her falling into the unknown.

“What’s your name?” he asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

“Luna,” she replied, trying to sound casual as she wiped down the counter. She noticed how his gaze lingered on her, studying her with a focus that made her heart race.

“I’m Cassian,” he said, almost like a declaration. He took a slow sip of his coffee, his eyes never leaving hers. “You run this place alone?”

She nodded, unsure of why she felt compelled to keep talking to him. She was usually cautious with strangers, especially late at night. But Cassian had a presence, an intensity that drew her in against her better judgment.

“Well,” she said after a pause, “I was just about to lock up.”

He nodded but didn’t move. Instead, he looked around, his expression unreadable. “This is a nice place,” he murmured, almost as if speaking to himself. Then his gaze returned to her. “You don’t get many late visitors, do you?”

“No,” she replied, feeling a strange tension build between them. It wasn’t fear, exactly. It was something rawer, more electric. She couldn’t shake the feeling that she knew him, somehow, though she knew that was impossible.

Before she could think of what to say next, the power flickered, and the lights went out. The storm outside had intensified, and the shop was plunged into darkness, save for the faint glow of the streetlight outside.

“Great,” she muttered under her breath, moving to find her phone.

Cassian’s voice came from somewhere in the dark. “Here.” A moment later, she felt his hand on her shoulder, steadying her, guiding her to a chair. She sat, her breath shallow as she felt his presence close by.

“You don’t have to stay,” she said, trying to sound dismissive, but her voice came out barely a whisper. “It’ll just be a minute, I’m sure.”

There was a pause, then the sound of him sitting down across from her. “I’ll stay until the storm passes. Just in case.”

They sat in silence, the air between them thick with unspoken tension. The rain hammered against the windows, drowning out the world outside and isolating them in a cocoon of darkness and proximity. Luna’s senses felt heightened, every tiny sound amplified, her heart beating hard against her ribs.

She could feel his gaze on her, piercing and unyielding. It was as if he could see her in the dark, see every hidden part of her she kept buried. She felt vulnerable, exposed in a way she hadn’t felt in years.

“Why do you live here?” he asked suddenly, breaking the silence.

The question caught her off guard. “I like it here. It’s…quiet.”

Cassian gave a low chuckle, almost amused. “Quiet. Right.” He seemed to be weighing her words, as if they meant more than she intended. “And you don’t mind the solitude?”

She hesitated. “I don’t need a lot of people around.”

“I can understand that,” he replied, his voice softening just a fraction.

They fell into silence again, but this time it felt less guarded, as though something had shifted. The storm outside roared, yet the tension between them was louder, more consuming. Without thinking, Luna leaned forward, feeling her hand brush against his. She felt that electric shock again, stronger this time, pulsing through her like a current she couldn’t control.

Her heart hammered as she realized how close they were. She could barely see his face, but she felt his breath warm against her skin, sensed the intensity in his gaze even through the darkness.

“Luna,” he murmured, his voice a low, rough whisper.

Before she knew what was happening, his lips brushed against hers, tentative at first, then more insistent. She didn’t pull away. She couldn’t. The kiss was overwhelming, fierce and consuming, like he was claiming a part of her she hadn’t even known existed.

They stumbled back, tangled in each other, as the storm outside raged on. Luna lost herself in the moment, all reason and caution slipping away. Cassian’s touch ignited something within her, something wild and untamed, a part of herself she had kept hidden for too long.

When she finally pulled back, breathless, reality crashed down around her. She felt the weight of what had just happened, the sudden realization that she had let a stranger—one she barely knew—into her life in a way she couldn’t take back.

“Cassian,” she whispered, her voice shaking. She searched his face in the faint light, trying to understand what had just happened.

But he was already pulling away, his expression guarded, as if a wall had come down between them. “I should go,” he said abruptly, his tone distant.

Luna felt a pang of confusion and hurt, but she nodded, unable to find the words to stop him. She watched as he disappeared into the storm, leaving her alone in the empty, darkened shop.

As the power flickered back on, Luna sank into her chair, her mind reeling from the events of the night. She could still feel the lingering heat of his touch, the memory of his intense gaze. And as the storm outside finally began to fade, a strange feeling settled over her, a sense that her life was about to change in ways she couldn’t yet understand.

But it was only a few weeks later that the true consequences of that night would reveal themselves, in a way that would bind her to Cassian forever.

In a way she hadn’t anticipated—she was carrying his child.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***