Your phone vibrates against the nightstand, dragging you out of sleep. 2:14 AM. You squint at the screen, confused, until you see the notification.

1 new voicemail — ~~Max~~.

Your stomach tightens immediately. You haven’t spoken in weeks. Not since things ended so badly, not since you both said things you didn’t mean and then never took them back.

You hesitate. Then you press play.

There’s a second of muffled noise — movement, a breath too close to the mic — and then his voice comes through, low and uneven, slurring just enough to give him away.

“Hey… uh-” he laughs softly, a little breathless. “Okay. I know it’s late. You don’t have to — you probably won’t even listen to this.” he sighs to himself, and you can almost feel him shaking his head.

Then there’s a pause. You can hear music somewhere in the background. Some people are laughing, but it's too far away to recognize the sound as someone you know.

“I just—” he exhales, words blurring together slightly. “I keep thinking I’m fine, y’know? Like I’m over it. And then it’s two in the morning and I’m not.” a quiet hiss; like he’s embarrassed to even be talking about it. “This is stupid. You’d hate this.”

Another pause. Longer this time. “I miss you,” Max says, softer now. “I miss how easy it was. I miss you coming over like it didn’t matter that I just got out the shower... I wish you'd — No."

You hear him shift, the fabric of his sweatpants dragging across whatever couch he's sitting on. You wonder whether he's leaning forward, elbows on his knees, or if he's leaning back, man-spreading the way he used to.

“God,” he mutters. “I shouldn’t be saying this.” His voice drops, slower, heavier. “Just — come over. Don’t even talk. Just… just kiss me. I miss that. I miss you kissing me.”

There’s a faint laugh again — like he knows he shouldn’t have said it, but doesn’t regret it either. “Forget it. You don’t have to. I shouldn’t have called.” A breath. “I’ll delete this in the morning anyway.”

The voicemail cuts off.

Your room is quiet again, the glow of your phone illuminating your stunned face. Max probably didn’t mean for you to hear that. And somehow, that made it worse.