The silence in the apartment was deafening.
She groaned into her pillow, frustrated with herself.
Why was she acting like this?
It wasn't like Ethan owed her anything. He wasn't hers.
And yet…
She turned onto her back, staring at the ceiling, her heart heavy in her chest.
With a sigh, she reached for her phone, unlocking it out of habit.
Her thumb hovered over her gallery.
She tapped it open.
And there it was.
A picture she had taken during their date.
It wasn't even a good one — just a candid shot of Ethan when he wasn't paying attention.
His hoodie was slightly pulled over his face, his face was off to the side. He wasn't smiling, wasn't posing.
But it was him.
And something about it made her chest tighten.
She wanted to send him a message.
Something casual. Something simple.
[Hey, how was your day?]
[Did you eat?]
[Are you still busy?]
But she didn't.
Her fingers hovered over the screen before she locked the phone and set it aside, face-down on the mattress.
