Where the hell was she?

Rafe’s phone screen lit up again. No answer. The text bubble stayed empty, like the silence between them was mocking him now. He’d called six times, maybe more. Left two voice messages he regretted the second they sent. And still—nothing.

He sat in his truck outside her house, engine running but the clock frozen in his mind. It felt like time wasn’t moving. Like she had taken the air with her when she left, and all that was left was the weight in his chest and the ghost of her scent still clinging to his hoodie.

He didn’t even know what pushed her over the edge. Maybe it was the way he always showed up broken and left before sunrise. Or maybe it was how he never said what he really meant—not when it counted. He’d told her he didn’t care, that none of this mattered. Lied through his teeth just to keep control. But when she walked away, all he could think about was how badly he wanted to kiss her, beg her to stay.

He had ten different drafts of a message in his notes app. Some soft. Some angry. All unfinished.

You ask me “Why?” Why I keep calling. Why I care. And I don’t know what else to say except: Why not? If this is nothing, if we’re nothing, then what the hell are we still doing here?

But he couldn’t hit send. She’d left him flying, high off the taste of something real, only to drop him far from the sky—nowhere near peace, nowhere near her.

He wasn’t sleeping anymore. Not really. And when he did, it was restless. Dreams of her laughing, dreams of her leaving. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her standing by the door, her hand hovering over the knob, like she couldn’t decide if she wanted to stay or save herself.

Rafe wanted to be mad. Wanted to slam the gas, leave this street, leave her behind. But he couldn’t. Because even if she hurt him, he’d still let her do it again. Just to have one more night. One more kiss. One more minute pretending he was whole with her in his arms.

“Just tell me no,” he whispered to himself. “Tell me it’s really over.”

But the line stayed dead. And her silence said everything.