Chapter 7
By Friday, I stopped checking my phone so much.
Not because I didn't want to.
But because I was tired of the hope that came with every vibration—and the disappointment that followed when it wasn't him.
People kept moving on like nothing had changed. Notes still passed under desks. Laughter still echoed in the halls. Homework was still due.
But for me, everything felt… paused.
It's strange how someone can fill your days without even being there.Stranger still how their silence can echo louder than their voice.
Mia noticed, of course.
"You should text him."
I shook my head. "He said he'd message me."
"And he hasn't," she said gently. "That doesn't mean you can't."
I didn't answer. I wasn't sure if it was pride or fear holding me back.
That night, I gave in.
I typed,"Hey. Just checking in. Hope everything's okay."
Simple. Safe.
I hit send. Watched the little "delivered" check mark appear.
And then I waited.
Ten minutes.
An hour.
Nothing.
I woke up the next morning and saw it:
Read. 1:14 AM.
No reply.
No explanation.
Just… seen.
I wish I could say I didn't care.
But I did.
And for the first time since Aiden sat beside me on that rainy Tuesday—I wondered if I should've ever let him sit there at all.