15

I took her card, rolling my eyes as I swiped it. "Well, I'm sure the feeling is mutual," I muttered, handing the card back. "But let's try to keep the bodily harm to a minimum, okay? Don't want to scare off the other customers."Hannah snorted, grabbing her drink and bag of baked goods. "Don't worry, Terry. You're not worth the effort."She turned to leave, and I watched her go, feeling a mix of irritation and something else I couldn't quite put my finger on. It was clear she wasn't going to let go of her grudge anytime soon, but at least she'd toned down the hostility—if only a little.The rest of my shift passed without incident, and by the time I was done, the encounter with Hannah had started to fade into the background. I headed back to my dorm, tired but somewhat at peace. Despite her cutting remarks, there was something about the way Hannah had looked at me, a flicker of something more beneath her anger.The next day, I was back in the coffee shop, this time as a customer. I ordered my usual and found a corner table to sit at. As I sipped my drink and tried to focus on my studies, I couldn't help but scan the room, half-expecting to see Hannah walk in.And sure enough, not long after, the door opened, and there she was. She hesitated when she saw me, but then she squared her shoulders and approached the counter. After placing her order, she glanced around the room and, to my surprise, made her way to my table."Mind if I sit?" she asked, her tone neutral.I shrugged, gesturing to the empty chair. "Go ahead."She sat down, setting her drink and food on the table. For a few moments, we just sat in silence, the tension between us palpable. Finally, she sighed."Look, Terry, I'm not here to fight. I just... I wanted to explain. Sort of."I raised an eyebrow, curious. "Oh?"She took a deep breath. "Yesterday was rough. I had a lot on my mind, and I took it out on you. Doesn't excuse my behavior, but I figured you deserved to know."I nodded slowly. "Fair enough. We all have our bad days."She looked down at her drink, then back up at me. "I don't know why you get under my skin so much. Maybe it's because you remind me of someone I used to know. Someone who hurt me."Her words took me by surprise, and I found myself wanting to know more. "I'm sorry to hear that. But just so you know, I'm not that person."She gave a small, wry smile. "Yeah, I guess I needed to hear that. Maybe we can try to get along. Or at least not hate each other."I chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."We lapsed into a more comfortable silence, sipping our drinks and occasionally exchanging glances. It wasn't much, but it was a start. And for the first time, I felt like maybe, just maybe, there was hope for some kind of truce between us.