Rebirth

Chapter 5: The Past (5)

As the day unfolded, Meg carried a subtle lightness within her. Even while washing dishes and organizing the pantry, her thoughts kept drifting back to Alex. She replayed their conversation over and over, still amazed at how easily she had opened up. She had spent years building walls around herself, yet somehow, he had gently stepped through them without force.

By evening, the sky deepened into shades of orange and violet. She found herself glancing at her phone more often than she intended. The clock ticked steadily toward eight at night, but there was no call. No message. No notification.

A strange emptiness crept into her chest.

“How could this happen?” she muttered softly. She was surprised at how quickly she had started depending on his presence. It scared her a little. She had promised herself she would never rely too much on anyone again.

At exactly 8:07 p.m., she opened f*******: and typed a simple message.

“Hi.”

A few seconds passed. Then a minute. Then five.

“Hello.”

Still no reply.

To distract herself, she opened the Light Reader app and continued reading her novel, Married to the Devil’s Son. The dramatic twists of the story briefly captured her attention, but her mind kept wandering back to Alex. Was he okay? Had something happened?

Just as worry began to settle heavily in her stomach, her phone buzzed.

“Hello, pretty good evening. How are you doing today? Sorry I didn’t call. I was so busy helping my mom at her shop.”

Relief washed over her instantly, replacing anxiety with warmth.

“It’s fine,” she replied, trying to sound composed, though her heart had already calmed.

“Can I call?” he asked politely.

“Sure you can,” she answered, unable to hide her anticipation.

Within seconds, her phone rang.

“I can finally get to hear your voice,” Alex said warmly when she answered.

“Really?” Meg replied with a playful smirk.

“Yeah. How was your day? Did you miss me?” he teased.

Her heart skipped at the question. Of course, she had missed him. But she wasn’t ready to admit it so easily.

“No, why would I?” she said, laughing.

“Ouch, that hurts,” he replied dramatically, making her laugh even more.

They talked about everything and nothing—childhood memories, favorite foods, embarrassing moments, future dreams. Time slipped away unnoticed. When she finally glanced at the clock, it was already 1 a.m. She stared at the time in disbelief. She had never talked to anyone for that long before.

“Maybe we should end here for today,” Alex said gently. “It’s already past your bedtime.

She smiled, though disappointment tugged at her. “Okay, no problem,” she whispered.

“Good night and sweet dreams.”

“Okay… bye.”

When the call ended, Meg lay back on her bed, staring at the ceiling in the quiet darkness. A soft smile lingered on her face. She felt like she had found someone special—someone who understood her, supported her, and made her feel heard.

Without realizing it, she was leaning toward him more and more each day.

And though she didn’t fully understand it yet, her heart had already begun to