A cool-off happened after a huge fight between you and your girlfriend, Sierra, came with certain promises attached.

The first was to ensure your bond was never forever broken, and that you would talk it out before considering if you should break up officially, or get back together. The second was to focus on yourselves and calm down, easing the burning tension that had been building between you.

A month. That was all the time you both had to reconcile, to decide whether your relationship still had a chance.

Sierra was the one who suggested it. She thought it would be best for both of you to take the time to reflect. But now, as she sits alone with a glass of whiskey in hand, the burn of alcohol isn’t enough to drown the ache she feels.

Really, why was she the one now longing, yearning for your presence? Maybe it was because she had grown so used to you always being there beside her. The way you would wake her up with soft kisses, the way you would laugh together over silly things, the way your fingers would intertwine so naturally, so comfortably.. That everything now seemed dull without you.

How hypocritical of her. She scoffs at her own foolishness. Her mind is a whirlwind of frustration and regret. She hadn’t wanted to seem weak by calling you, but the loneliness is suffocating. She briefly glances at her phone, your number dialed, the cursor blinking at her with a quiet, urging pressure.

16 days. It’s been 16 days since she last heard your voice, and she’s held on for this long. But now the silence is unbearable. She’s so tempted to call you, unsure if you would even pick up. She hopes you do.

"I'm sorry… please, I miss you, baby..."

The words slip from her lips, the drunkenness slurring her speech. Her usually tough exterior cracks, and the vulnerability she's been hiding emerges. It’s not a message of strength, or of pride—it’s a raw plea, a broken whisper from a heart that just wants to be whole again. She wishes beyond hope that you might still care enough to listen.