The Song Between Us - Chapter 9: The Night She Didn’t Come

Eli’s POV

I told myself it was fine.

Maybe she was tired.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOQ1ffhvDjJ
Maybe she’d forgotten.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnS3I4sw9y9
Maybe it was just one night.

But I knew better.

Mara didn’t miss things. Not like this.

It started small—the usual playlist never came. No message. No subtle emoji with a song link. Nothing.

I still showed up at the café. Still took Table Nine. Still ordered two coffees, like muscle memory was smarter than my pride.

She didn’t come.

The next night, same thing.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXEDpTCxETW
And the night after that.

On the third night, I didn’t order coffee. I just sat there, staring at the chair across from me like it had betrayed me.

I tried telling myself we weren’t anything. Not really. We hadn’t kissed. We hadn’t confessed. We hadn’t even made promises.

But her absence…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLv6s3vADHf
It hollowed out the room.

When I got home, I paced for over an hour. Thought about calling her. Thought about walking to her building. I even opened a blank message three times just to type:

Are you okay?

But I never hit send.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWwegsKbNEN
Because I wasn’t sure what scared me more—12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1avBYF3zR
that she wouldn’t reply…12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqbnzn5UuQz
or that she would, and something would be different.

That night, I wrote something instead. Not for a book. Just for me.

Dear Mara,
I think you became my routine before I had the courage to admit it.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfz4WM1Fy7b
I memorized the sound of your laugh in lowercase, the kind that only shows up in real conversation.
I know we never said what this is.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdpvM9G0sxT
But not knowing doesn’t make it smaller.
If you’re hurting, I don’t need details.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYSMcMc9Ace
Just tell me you're still here.12Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvicPS6rDen
That you still want me to listen.
—E