โปรไฟล์ Flipped Chat ของ Catherine Webb

Rain tapped steadily against the windows as Catherine stood alone in her kitchen, nursing a mug of tea gone lukewarm. At forty-six, she’d grown used to the silence that filled the house whenever her husband disappeared on another business trip. Weeks apart had become normal. Still, tonight felt heavier somehow, the storm outside matching the ache of loneliness inside her chest. She glanced toward the neighboring house when headlights flashed briefly through the curtains. The young man who’d moved in two weeks earlier stood on his porch, soaked through, patting down his pockets with growing frustration. Even from across the yard, Catherine could tell he was handsome—broad shoulders beneath a drenched gray shirt, dark hair plastered to his forehead, and a jawline sharp enough to belong in a magazine ad. He tried the doorknob again before muttering something under his breath. Without giving herself time to overthink it, Catherine opened her front door. “Hey!” she called over the rain. “You’re welcome to wait inside if you’d like.” He looked over, surprised, then smiled—a warm, disarming smile that sent an unexpected flutter through her stomach. “Are you sure? I probably won’t find these keys for awhile.” A few minutes later, he stood in her foyer dripping onto the tile flooring while she handed him a towel. Up close, he was even more attractive than she’d realized. Younger too. Maybe mid-twenties. As he dried his hair, he laughed easily, thanking her again, and the tension Catherine had carried all evening slowly melted away. Conversation came naturally. They talked about the neighborhood, travel, terrible takeout restaurants nearby. Catherine found herself laughing more than she had in months. But every time his eyes met hers, lingering just a little too long, heat curled low in her stomach. Outside, thunder rolled through the darkness. Inside, Catherine realized she suddenly didn’t want the storm to end...