Chapter 9 A Storm Brews

The sky had been threatening rain all day, with heavy clouds rolling in from the east, but Lucy had been too preoccupied with her errands to care. She needed to keep busy, to distract herself from the gnawing thoughts of Li Wei's recent distance.

The rain began as she stepped out of the small bookstore, a new travel guide tucked under her arm. The first drops were gentle, barely noticeable, but within seconds, the drizzle transformed into a torrential downpour, the kind that sent people scrambling for cover.

Lucy sighed, pulling her coat tighter around her as she scanned the street for shelter. A small café, its sign flickering in the rain, caught her eye. She hurried across the slick pavement, the rain soaking through her shoes, and pushed open the door, greeted by the warm aroma of coffee and pastries. The café's warmth enveloped her like a comforting embrace which was a stark contrast to the cold tension she was carrying inside.

As Lucy shook the rain from her umbrella and removed her coat, she noticed someone sitting by the window, his silhouette unmistakable.

Her heart skipped a beat.

It was Li Wei.

He hadn't seen her yet. He was staring out the window, his expression pensive, as if he was lost deep in thought. The rain drummed against the glass, casting a reflective sheen over his features.

For a moment, Lucy considered slipping back out before he noticed her, but something inside her-an urge to confront the uncertainty that had been tormenting her-kept her rooted to the spot.

After a brief hesitation, she took a deep breath and walked over to his table. Each step felt heavy, as if she were trudging through thick mud. The air between them seemed to crackle with unspoken words and unresolved emotions.

"Li Wei," she said, her voice soft but steady.

He looked up, surprise flashing in his eyes before he quickly composed himself. "Lucy,"he replied, his tone neutral, almost cautious. "What are you doing here?"

"Just escaping the rain," she said, gesturing to the downpour outside. "Mind if I join you?"

Li Wei hesitated, then nodded. "Of course not."

Lucy sat down across from him, the small table between them feeling like both a bridge and a barrier. The rain pounded against the windows, creating a rhythmic backdrop to the charged silence that hung in the air.

She noticed how tense he seemed. His fingers tapped lightly on the side of his coffee cup, as if he was trying to distract himself from something he couldn't quite put into words.

For a few moments, neither of them spoke. Lucy studied Li Wei's face, searching for any sign of the warmth and openness she had once seen there. But his expression was guarded and he avoided her with his eyes as if he were building a wall between them brick by brick.

"I haven't seen you in a while,"Lucy finally said, unable to keep the edge of hurt from creeping into her voice. "You've been... distant."

Li Wei sighed, rubbing the back of his neck in a gesture that spoke of the discomfort he was clearly feeling. "I've been busy,"he said, but the excuse sounded weak, even to him.

"Busy?" Lucy repeated, her frustration bubbling to the surface. "Is that all you have to say? It feels like you've been avoiding me, and I don't understand why."

Li Wei remained silent, his gaze still fixed on the rain-splattered window.

The weight of the unspoken words between them grew heavier, pressing down on Lucy's chest until she could hardly breathe.

"Li Wei, please. Just talk to me,"Lucy urged, leaning forward slightly. "If something's wrong, if I've done something to upset you, just tell me. But don't just shut me out like this"

Li Wei's jaw tightened and his hands clenched around his coffee cup. She could see the struggle in his eyes and the way he was fighting to keep his emotions in check.

"It's complicated,"he began, but Lucy cut him off, unable to bear the ambiguity any longer.

"No, it's not," she snapped, her frustration boiling over. "You're making it complicated because you're afraid. What are you so scared of Li Wei? Of feeling something?"

"That's not fair," Li Wei said, his voice low and tense, a storm brewing behind his calm exterior. "You don't understand-"

"Then help me understand!"Lucy interrupted, her voice shaking with a mix of anger and hurt. "You say one thing and then do another. You're kind and attentive one moment, and then you shut me out the next. I'm not a mind reader, Li Wei. If you don't like me or if I've done something wrong, just say so!"

The words hung in the air between them, raw and painful, each one landing like a punch to the gut.

Li Wei stared at her, his expression unreadable, the tension between them crackling like the storm outside.

Lucy could feel her heart pounding in her chest, each beat a painful reminder of how much she had opened herself up to him, only to be met with confusion and doubt.

For a moment, Lucy thought he might just walk away, leaving her again with the uncertainty that had been plaguing her for weeks. She could almost see it in his eyes-the urge to retreat, to run away from the mess of emotions that had tangled between them.

But then, something in Li Wei's gaze shifted. The conflict in his eyes gave way to something deeper, something intense and unguarded. It was as if a dam had broken inside him, releasing a flood of feelings he had kept tightly controlled for far too long.

In a sudden, impulsive movement, Li Wei leaned across the table, his hand reaching out to cup the side of her face.

His touch was warm, his fingers trembling slightly as they brushed against her skin.

Before Lucy could process what was happening, his lips were on hers, the kiss searing, filled with all the emotion he had kept hidden for so long.

Lucy's breath caught in her throat, her heart racing as she kissed him back, her fingers curling into his shirt as if to anchor herself.

The world outside the café seemed to disappear, the rain muffling everything but the sound of their own heartbeats. The kiss was desperate and filled with the unspoken words that had been building between them for what felt like an eternity.

When they finally broke apart, both of them were breathing heavily, their foreheads resting against each other's. Li Wei's hand remained on her cheek, his thumb brushing lightly against her skin in a tender, almost apologetic gesture. The intensity of the moment left them both shaken.

"I'm sorry," he whispered, his voice thick with emotion. "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just... I've never felt like this before, and you're right, it scares me."

Lucy searched his eyes, seeing the vulnerability there. In that moment, she realized just how much he had been struggling, torn between his feelings for her and the fears that had kept him at a distance.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" she asked softly, her voice barely above a whisper. "I would have understood. We could have figured it out together."

"Because I didn't know how to,"he admitted, his thumb tracing gentle circles on her cheek. "I'm not used to letting people in, Lucy. My life has always been about control, about keeping things neat and tidy. But with you... it's different. You make me feel things I've never felt before, and I didn't know how to handle it."

Lucy felt her anger and frustration begin to melt away, replaced by a deep sense of empathy. She understood that fear, because she had felt it too, but she had taken the leap anyway, hoping he would catch her.

"I'm not asking you to be perfect, Li Wei,"she said, her voice gentle but firm. "I'm just asking you to be honest with me, with yourself. If you care about me, if you want this to work, then we have to stop hiding from each other."

Li Wei nodded, his eyes shining with a mixture of relief and determination. "I do care about you, Lucy. More than I've ever cared about anyone. And I want this to work. I'm just... I'm still learning how to let go of all the fears and doubts that have been holding me back."

Lucy smiled, a small, reassuring smile that made the tension in his shoulders begin to ease. "We can do it together,"she said. "But you have to let me in, Li Wei."

The rain continued to fall outside, but inside the café, the storm between them had finally passed. They sat there, close enough to feel each other's warmth, neither of them wanting to move, as the world outside slowly faded back into focus.