The scent of cinnamon filled the air, warm and sweet, a comforting blanket that wrapped around the little bakery.
Eli worked quietly behind the counter, his sleeves rolled up, a dusting of flour on his nose. The golden afternoon sun filtered through the windows, casting soft light over the tables, the pastries, the tinny potted plants in the sill.
It was just another day.....
Or it should have been. Except for him.
Caleb. Sitting at the corner table by the window, the same as every day that weak. He was there again-----------handsome and still, a back hoodie pulled over his broad shoulders, dark eyes following. Eli with a gaze that felt...heavy. Like it had weight. Like it meant something. Eli tried to ignore the way his heart raced when he felt those eyes on him. He tried to focus on the Trav of cookies he was arranging, the soft clinking of cups behind him, the hum of the music playing low in the background. But he could feel Caleb gaze.
Warm
Unwavering.
Intense.
Every time Eli looked up, he found Caleb watching him. Not in a rude way. Not in a way that made Eli uncomfortable. No, it was something else--------like Caleb was trying to understand him. Like he was memorizing the way Eli moved, the curve of his smile, the way his hair fell into hie eyes.
It was enough to make Eli cheeks flush.
The bakery emptied out slowly, the last customers leaving with soft goodbyes. Soon, it was just the two of them. Eli wiped the counter, trying to steady his hands. Hia breath felt tight in his chest, his heart beating too fast.
''Long day?'' Caleb voice was soft, almost like a murmur, yet it cut through the Quiet like a warm blade. Eli glanced up, startled, his eyes meeting Caleb. And for a moment----------just a heartbeat--------he couldn't look away. Blush. Oh my? Good. There was something in Caleb eyes, something deep and dark and hungry. Caleb throat dry looking Eli lips. Not dangerous wild.
Eli breath caught. The air between them seemed to hum, thick and slow. His fingers tightened around the cloth in his hand. Eli heart sound Badam Badam.
Caleb lips curved into a small, almost imperceptible smile, Caleb lick lips with small smirk.
Eli swallowed. his cheeks warm. He looked away quickly, focusing on a nonexistent smudge on the counter.
''I....I guess,'' Eli said softly, his voice a little unsteady.
Caleb didn't reply. He just watched.
That gaze------calm, quiet, possessive in a way Eli didn't understand ------ felt like a weight against his skin. And even though the bakery was warm and safe, Eli felt a strange shiver run down his spine. Like something had shifted. Like something was waiting in the space between them. He turned away, trying to shake the feeling. But as he reached for a plate, his hand brushed against Caleb------- just a light touch, barely there. And the spark that run thought Eli chest was impossible to ignore.
His breath hitched.
He felt the heat rise in the cheeks. And when he dared to glance up---------
Caleb still watching him. His gaze dark, steady, filled with something Eli couldn't name.
The door chimed suddenly, breaking the moment. Eli jumped, stepping back Quietly as a customers walked in, chattering on the phone.
Caleb stood, sliding his hands into the pockets. He nodded at Eli, just small, silent gesture-----like they'd shared something. And then he left, his scent lingering in the air like a whisper of the woods-----wild and untamed. Eli stood frozen for a moment, his breath shallow, his heart hammering in his chest. And as the door swung shut behind Caleb, Eli wondered.....
What is happening to me?
Why does it feel like I'm being...watched?
And why does that thought not scare me at all?
-----------------------------Someone is looking at Eli, but it's not Caleb----------------------