Chapter 155:: Kali took a deep breath and walked into the café, its familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee wrapping around her

Chapter 155:: Kali took a deep breath and walked into the café, its familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee wrapping around her

Kali took a deep breath and walked into the café, its familiar aroma of freshly brewed coffee wrapping around her. "Hey, Amy, have you been waiting long?" she asked, sliding into the seat across from her friend.
Amy frowned, her eyes lifting from her phone to meet Kali's. "Kali, I thought we were friends? You can talk to me truthfully. I mean, do you have feelings for Ben? Is that why you create all these problems for him to solve, so he doesn’t have time for his relationship?"
Kali’s brow furrowed. "I thought you knew me better than that, Amy. Since our last conversation yesterday was the first time I saw Ben, I’m honestly trying to give the two of you some space."
Amy chuckled, a hint of disbelief in her voice. "Really? Then why won’t you have a boyfriend, to keep your options open?"
Exasperated, Kali ran her fingers through her hair. "It's not like that, Amy. Did I ever show you that I was interested in Ben? Sure, I had a crush on him when I was sixteen, but I’m almost thirty now! I promise you, he really loves you. I hope you don’t mind whatever you’re hearing right now."
Amy hit the table in frustration, causing heads to turn in the café. "It's not what I'm hearing, Kali. Don’t you get it? It's what I've seen! Ben keeps saying he can’t take this relationship any further because he feels responsible for you."
Kali felt a twinge of guilt at Amy's words. "I wasn’t going to tell you this, but I’m in a relationship. It’s private for now, though—I didn’t want my family to find out."
Amy's eyes widened. "You do? When can I meet him?"
Just then, Kali's phone rang, a familiar name flashing on the screen. It was Ben. Ignoring the first call, she hesitated as the phone rang again, this time using their emergency contact number.
"Hello, Ben," she said, the tension palpable, and she could almost hear a sigh of relief from the other end.
"Where are you, and why didn’t you pick up the first time I called?" he asked, his voice sharp yet concerned.
Kali chuckled lightly. "I’m not a baby, Ben. I’m with Amy. Do you want to say hi?" His voice fell dead.
"Okay... sure," he replied reluctantly.
Kali handed the phone to Amy, feeling the weight of the moment. “He wants to speak with you.”
"Hey, Ben. I called, and you didn’t pick up?" Amy asked, her sharp tone almost biting.
"I was in a meeting. Why are you two together, Amy? I thought I told you to leave Kali alone. You keep trying to create distance between our friendship. You knew how close we were before you and I dated!"
Kali flinched at Ben's rising anger.
"Well, I lied, Ben. It is a problem! You haven't called me for the last two weeks, and here you are worrying about her—why wouldn’t I be jealous?"
Kali watched as Ben sighed heavily, the tension rising.
"Then we have nothing more to talk about, Amy. I’m sorry, but I don’t think I can keep trying to convince you Kali is just my friend." His tone grew aggressive.
"Are you really breaking up with me because of Kali?" Amy asked incredulously.
"Have a nice life, Amy."
Kali saw the blazing glare Amy shot her way, and her heart sank. "I'm sure he's just upset, Amy. Don’t take Ben too seriously when he’s like this," she said quickly.
With an exasperated huff, Amy stood up and stormed out, leaving Kali alone at the table, her phone still warm from the call. She had no clue why she lied about being in a relationship. Her mind drifted to Jayden, the man from the café the night before. His sad eyes haunted her thoughts, and she wondered what could make someone like him so sorrowful.
As if on cue, she stood up, ready to leave, only to see Jayden walking into the café. He didn’t notice her initially, busy placing his order. She admired him—today he wore a casual white and black suit, looking effortlessly composed.
Suddenly, their eyes met. She turned away, startled by her own reaction. "Wait, why am I acting like a child?" She resolutely turned back to greet him.
"Hello, Kali," he waved, a charming smile breaking across his face.
"Mr. Jayden, nice running into you here," she smiled shyly.
"You look really disturbed. Do you want to talk about it?" he asked, tilting his head slightly, concern flickering in his eyes.
Kali felt her cheeks heat. "I think your order is up, and I’d rather not talk about it now. But it was nice seeing you," she said, backing away.
"Always a pleasure, Kali. If you ever change your mind and need someone to talk to, just give me a call while you're considering my proposal," he said with a twinkle in his eye.
She nodded as he turned to leave. Outside, she saw Ben standing there with Amy. Just before she exited, Ben broke away from Amy and walked directly toward her.
"Hey, Kali," he called, tension radiating from him.
"Ben, this is exactly why Amy and I are having problems. I begged you to consider her feelings, but you keep putting me in a tight corner where I can’t even defend myself. If you knew you couldn’t commit to a relationship, why enter one?"
Ben’s expression darkened. "So you're mad at me? Kali, why are you even thinking about this guy? Have you forgotten what happened last time?"
At that moment, Jayden walked out of the café, approaching Kali. "You forgot your phone," he said, holding it out. "And I got you something."
An unexpected surge of nerves coursed through her. "Like a bribe?" she teased half-heartedly.
"Yeah, like a bribe," he replied, his smile bright, and her blush deepened.
Ben stood, glaring at Jayden as if measuring him up. "Kali," Ben said, bringing her back to the present.
"This is Jayden Scott. He is the man I met last night. Mr. Jayden, this is my best friend, Ben." Ben feels Jayden looked familiar but couldn’t place his hand on it. Jayden nodded politely, his demeanor unruffled. "Nice to meet you, Ben. I was just trying to steal Kali here for at least six months," he chuckled, and surprisingly, Kali found herself laughing along.
"Steal? No one can steal her, but give it a try," Ben shot back defensively.
The air hung thick with unspoken words, revelations lurking just beneath the surface. In that café, amid shattered friendships and budding connections, the truth loomed, waiting for the right moment to surface.