Masks of Dusk

Today was another day for Jessy, where she had to study all day in her favorite coffee place.

Most of the customers here were regulars, as this place was to study while having snacks.

Walking inside she nodded as she met eyes with some of her acquainted ones, then immediately sat down and started working alongside her friends, Ashley, Emily, and Aiden.

She naturally had a lot of friends but those were who she was most close to.

Rather than charming and innocent, Jessy had more of a cold beauty that froze peoples gazes, making them unable to take their eyes off her.

Her beauty alone made her popular, not including her perfect social skills and kindhearted nature.

For a few moments, she raised her eyes, watching a regular customer approaching the counter to order. She noticed the heads of many girls turn over.

A young man in his mid-twenties like her, a quiet fellow but popular even when he spoke to no one. Of all the regulars he was particular in her eyes.

The way he dressed was one of the first things that caught her eye when she met him for the first time. Always elegant while remaining casual. His dark hair, his well-drawn natural eyebrows, his dark brown eyes, his defined face, his rings. Whenever he came she always stared at him up and down, and he never failed to meet up her expectations for a new outfit.

But what Jessy didn fail to notice, was that he was always dressing as unrevealing as possible, even his forearms and neck were always covered up.

An attraction of course formed from Jessys side. Her friends noticed how she always tried to find any chance to talk to him, whether it was for a cable, a smoke, or anything, and so they made fun of her from time to time about it.

And right now he walked to the seat next to theirs.

She noticed he didn seem to have a glowing presence to him today, he looked tired.

”An expresso? ” She asked with a smile as that was his usual order.

The young man took off one of his earphones, and nodded, ”yeah. ”

She noticed his cracked voice. As if something bad or heavy weighed on his shoulders. She decided not to force it this time and let him be.

The study session continued normally, other than a fact she noticed again. The young man smocked a lot today compared to usual.

She took a moment before mustering up herself and walking outside with her pack of cigarettes.

She started smoking on the table on his right, a little bit behind him.

It was futile. Even she, didn understand what was truly going on with her, but soon enough came the opportunity.

”Want one? ” She spoke taking off her earphones, as she noticed he ran out of cigarettes.

He turned to look at her slowly, then waved his head calmly after a few moments expressing he didn need any.

She smiled and put her earphones back and before she could go back to her phone she suddenly thought of something. ”What brand are those? ”

He didn say a word and gave her the empty packet.

Jessy became nervous as she took it from him. But her curiosity suddenly took over.

It was a black packet, with only one letter writ