The Song Between Us - Chapter 9: The Night She Didn’t Come

Eli’s POV

I told myself it was fine.

Maybe she was tired.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9nimK5Tkfd
Maybe she’d forgotten.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡu0Zkz1QokX
Maybe it was just one night.

But I knew better.

Mara didn’t miss things. Not like this.

It started small—the usual playlist never came. No message. No subtle emoji with a song link. Nothing.

I still showed up at the café. Still took Table Nine. Still ordered two coffees, like muscle memory was smarter than my pride.

She didn’t come.

The next night, same thing.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5LcDqbZFa3
And the night after that.

On the third night, I didn’t order coffee. I just sat there, staring at the chair across from me like it had betrayed me.

I tried telling myself we weren’t anything. Not really. We hadn’t kissed. We hadn’t confessed. We hadn’t even made promises.

But her absence…52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFyTXHqHfKO
It hollowed out the room.

When I got home, I paced for over an hour. Thought about calling her. Thought about walking to her building. I even opened a blank message three times just to type:

Are you okay?

But I never hit send.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUyNB3H5Xqw
Because I wasn’t sure what scared me more—52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsuwEb5XTeB
that she wouldn’t reply…52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX57mLt2NLI
or that she would, and something would be different.

That night, I wrote something instead. Not for a book. Just for me.

Dear Mara,
I think you became my routine before I had the courage to admit it.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIL0wkOtohz
I memorized the sound of your laugh in lowercase, the kind that only shows up in real conversation.
I know we never said what this is.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPKbmNzsIdU
But not knowing doesn’t make it smaller.
If you’re hurting, I don’t need details.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtprrNKe30o
Just tell me you're still here.52Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQlVAXrL9pp
That you still want me to listen.
—E