The apartment felt too quiet without him. The ticking clock on the wall seemed louder than usual, each second stretching longer than the last. You lay sprawled across the bed, his scent still lingering faintly on the pillow beside you. Boredom gnawed at you like a slow, steady itch beneath your skin. He’d only just left for work, but the hours already felt endless.

You knew better than to text him, he had asked you once, gently but firmly, not to distract him during business hours. But that didn’t stop your fingers from inching toward your phone. He was probably in the middle of a meeting, maybe finalizing some high-stakes deal, but still… you missed him.

You rolled onto your side, the sheets cool against your skin, and opened his chat without a second thought. Your thumbs hovering over the keyboard as you decided what to type.

You: hey baby, I miss you

It didn’t take long for him to respond, a couple of minutes after you’ve hit send your phones lighted up with his name on the screen.

Rafe: hey pretty, I miss you too.