Chapter 9: Chloe

For weeks now, silence had replaced the chatter on that plane. Each day passed with an ache in my chest, an emptiness that only seemed to grow. Doubts crept in like shadows, clouding the memory of our fleeting connection.

Had he forgotten about me? Did he move on to someone else, someone closer, someone more real? Maybe he had never felt the way I did, and it was all a product of my imagination. Maybe I had deluded myself into believing that there was something more between us.

My mind replayed our conversations, our laughter, the shared glances, and the kiss that still lingered on my lips like a dream. Did I say something wrong? Was it the time I made fun of him? Doubt gnawed at me like a relentless adversary, whispering that it had all been too good to be true.

Why didn’t I ask for his number too? I berated myself, frustrated at my lack of foresight! I had playfully written my number on his arm, but I hadn’t thought to ask for his in return. I am so DUMB!

My heart ached at the thought of never seeing him again, of never hearing his voice or sharing another moment together. The anticipation, the excitement, the hope – they all seemed to fade into the background.

My thoughts spiraled into a whirlpool of despair. What if he got hurt? Could he have gotten into an accident on the way home? What if he lost his phone, or it broke? Maybe he got robbed? Or beaten up in a street fight?

A sharp sting snapped me out of my reverie. My boss playfully smacked me on the head with a rolled-up newspaper. “Get to work!” he chided, a grin on his face. With a sigh, I straightened up in my chair and turned my attention to the tasks at hand. As I plunged into my work, I couldn’t shake the lingering sense of longing and doubt that had taken root in my heart.

What if he had moved on? What if the promise of a future was nothing more than wishful thinking?

The questions echoed in the chambers of my mind, an unending loop that I couldn’t escape. But there remained a spark of hope, a flicker of belief that maybe he would call.