I sit on my bed, strumming random chords on my guitar, staring at the phone. It was 10:05 PM

5 minutes past the time she said she’d call…

Of course, she may be busy, or might’ve forgotten. Right? I frowned as the knot in my stomach tightened.
She didn’t return my ‘I love you’ today… maybe she just forgot? Or maybe she’s just… just what…?

10:13

The minutes wore on like years over a war. Uncertainty and doubt were battling my optimistic thoughts as I gritted my teeth. What if…
Should I call her? Would she be upset if I called? God, what will she say?
I was too afraid to even touch the phone.

10:21

Maybe I should just go to sleep… maybe it’ll all be ok tomorrow… just like in November, yea…
I just shook my head and lay down on my bed, wanting to rip my heart out.

10:23

The phone finally rang. I looked at the caller ID, but it wasn’t her number. It read only the number 23. My heart pounded as I picked up the phone.

“Hello?”