The Echoes of the rain.

Chapter 4: The shadow between us

The rain had stopped but ,ruelle's thoughts hadn't .

She stood frozen at the counter, eyes still locked on the glass door that had just closed behind the mysterious man. Her fingers brushed the spine of a book, but she couldn't feel it. Her heart was still somewhere between that piercing gaze and the silence he left behind.

What just happened…?

She barely had a moment to think before the door behind her swung open with its usual clatter.

"Ruelle!" Enna called, a little breathless. "You okay? I've been looking for you!"

Ruelle blinked and nodded slowly. "I… yeah. Just a bit distracted."

"Clearly." Enna flopped into the armchair near the front desk. "You look like you saw a ghost."

Ruelle gave a dry smile. Maybe I did.

Enna rummaged through her tote bag and pulled out two coffee cups. "Anyway—guess what? Eivan's coming tonight."

Ruelle paused. "Here?"

"Not to the store, genius. To the café. He said he wants to see you." Enna leaned in with a grin. "Honestly, I think he's planning something."

Ruelle gave a light laugh, trying to play it off, but her fingers tensed slightly.

Eivan. Her friend. The one who had been in her life for four years now. Kind, patient, funny. Too good, maybe. People said they looked perfect together.

But lately, she had begun to feel like he was too close. Like he was always… watching.

Ash stepped in just then, brushing rain from his jacket. His eyes flicked between the girls.

"Interrupting something?" he asked, more casually than he felt.

Enna looked up brightly. "Nope! Just talking about Eivan."

Ash's jaw tightened before he could stop it. "Of course."

Enna didn't notice. "He's seriously the best, right? Always knows what Ruelle's thinking before she even says it. Kind of spooky, actually."

Ash didn't reply.

Ruelle glanced at him, catching the faint shadow in his expression — something unreadable, but sharp. A strange quiet settled between them for a second too long.

Before anyone could speak, Ash's phone buzzed.

He checked the screen. "It's my mom. I should go."

Ruelle nodded, almost disappointed by how fast he turned toward the door.

"See you tomorrow," he said without looking back.

The door closed behind him.

And somewhere in her heart, Ruelle felt something stir.

Not from the man in the rain.

Not from Eivan's predictable affection.

But from the way Ash had looked at her — like she was more than a stranger, and less than his.

Eivan arrives.

Ash and Eivan interact for the first time in the story.

Ruelle is caught between the two.

Jealousy starts simmering in Ash.

The emotional tension and early chemistry between Ash and Ruelle subtly grow.

The bookstore closed early that evening.

Not because of the rain, or the customers, but because Ruelle couldn't stop glancing at the door. Her focus had faded, and her mind felt split — part of it stuck in that brief, haunting moment with the man in the rain… and the rest uncertain about what tonight might bring.

At 7 PM sharp, she stepped into the dimly lit café across the street, wiping her hands on her coat. Enna had already saved them a corner booth.

And he was already there.

Eivan.

He stood as soon as he saw her, flashing that easy, warm smile that made people instantly like him. His eyes were sharp, deep brown, and endlessly observant.

"Finally," he said, gently taking her hand to lead her to the seat beside him. "I thought you were going to ditch me tonight."

"Not today," she replied, offering a polite smile.

He smelled like familiar cologne. The kind she always associated with safety.

The kind that had, lately, begun to choke her.

Ash walked in ten minutes later, eyes scanning the room before they landed on her.

And then on him.

He froze for a breath too long before approaching their table.

Ruelle's eyes widened slightly. "You came?"

Ash shrugged. "Enna said there'd be coffee."

Eivan stood and extended a hand. "Eivan Raye."

Ash took it with a nod. "kiefen Ash."

There was something in the way their hands met — calm on the surface, but underneath it… steel.

They sat. Enna started rambling about a book-to-movie adaptation, giving Ruelle a moment to glance between the two men.

Eivan was speaking with ease, his usual calm confidence filling the space. He asked about the bookstore, her day, and smiled in that way that always made the people around him feel like the center of the world.

Ash, however, was quiet. Watching. Listening. His jaw clenched every time Eivan leaned too close.

At one point, Eivan lightly placed his hand on Ruelle's shoulder as he laughed about something she said.

Ash's eyes narrowed, his fingers tightening around his coffee cup.

He didn't say a word.

But she felt it.

And for the first time in years, Ruelle found herself holding her breath… not for Eivan, but for Ash

Ti be continued...