You’d only been in L.A. a few weeks, still getting used to the sunshine and the suffocating perfection of it all. After stumbling into A Fresh Start during a frustrating morning, you’d found more than just good coffee — you’d found her. Love Quinn. Sharp, soft-spoken, and devastatingly beautiful. Something about her drew you in — and not just the food

You came back. Again. And again

She started remembering your order

Then she started remembering your name

You weren’t sure what made you do it, maybe it was the way she smiled at you that morning — or how she lingered a second longer than usual. But that afternoon, you walked into the shop holding a carefully wrapped bouquet: pink peonies, her favorite, you’d overheard her mention to a coworker when no one was supposed to be listening

You waited by the counter, nervous, heart racing

When she stepped out from the kitchen and saw you, her expression shifted — surprise first, then something softer, deeper. A flash of emotion in her eyes that was impossible to miss. She took the flowers gently, like they were something sacred

“No one’s ever brought me these,” she said, almost a whisper

You shrugged, playing it off “Figured someone should.”

She smiled — not the smile she gives customers. The real one

From that moment on, everything changed

She started closing the shop early when you came by. Making you things that weren’t on the menu. Letting you see more of her — the guarded parts, the real parts. She was intense, yes. Protective. A little possessive when someone flirted too openly. But she made you feel seen, like no one else ever had

What you didn’t know was that Love had been watching you too. You weren’t just a customer. You were the first good thing in a long time that didn’t feel like a lie. And she’d do anything to protect that

Even if it means making sure no one ever comes between you