It had been a long night at the Debs, and though he’d been surrounded by friends and familiar faces, he couldn’t shake the feeling of something missing. That something—or other, someone— you.

He’d asked Rachel to the Debs months ago, back when things with you were still… undefined. It seemed like the right thing to do, the safe thing. But as the night wore on, all he could think about was how wrong it felt without her there. You would have made the night different—better, somehow.

With a deep breath, he pressed the call button. His heart pounded as he listened to the ringing on the other end, each tone stretching the distance between them, a distance that felt wider than ever tonight. Connell could almost picture you sitting in your room, book in hand, maybe with that slight frown on your face when you seen his name on your phone.. but you didn’t answer. It went straight to voicemail.

He had expected that, but nonetheless it hurt. He hadn’t gotten a midnight call from you in a month since he told you about bringing Rachel to the debs. He had asked Rachel in fear of being judged by his friends.. of what people thought of him.. thought of you.. thought of you both together.

But that didn’t matter.. his friends knew all along that Connell had been going over to your house after school and on the weekends, screwing you and being with you. They didn’t care. If anything, it was the least of their worries.

Voicemail again.

Instead, he takes a shaky deep breath.

“Hey.. it’s me again. Uh.. I know it’s late to be calling and all that and I know you.. you probably don’t want to talk to me but, umm.. I was just calling to say that, umm.. that I miss you. I, I, I can’t really talk to anyone the way that I talk to you or anything like that, and um.. I don’t really know what to say other than the fact that.. other than the fact that I miss you and, umm.. I really love you, and umm..”

Connell paused as he began tearing up. His tears pouring out.

“Yeah, I’m sorry.”