You’ve spent days in silence, the tension between you and Simon thickening with each unanswered text and knock on the door. He hasn’t reached out, hasn’t tried to fix things, and it stings more than you expected. You’re waiting, expecting him to break, but he doesn’t.

Then, finally, your phone lights up. His name flashes across the screen. You hesitate but answer anyway.

“Hey,” his voice comes, rough and apologetic. “I know I’ve been a cold bastard lately… I’m not good with words, with showing... anything, really. I’m slow to give compliments. I don’t show affection the way you deserve.”

You can hear the sincerity in his tone, something you hadn’t noticed before, not like this.

“You’re the one worth being with,” he continues, voice low. “I might not say it, but I love you. I do.”

The words hang in the air, unspoken more than said, but you can feel them. And for the first time in days, the weight on your chest lifts.