TOGETHER

CHAPTER TWELVE

I stared at the screen, rereading his words. His calm, steady presence never ceased to amaze me. Ashutosh knew exactly what to say to ease my mind, but it only made me feel worse about the fight. How could I be so irrational and stubborn?

"I'm sorry again," I typed quickly. "I shouldn't have fought with you. You're right... I was just being emotional."

"You have every right to be emotional, Ahana. I'm not mad," he replied. "I just didn't want to make things worse by saying something stupid."

I bit my lip, thinking about how harsh I had been. "You know I didn't mean any of it, right? I just... I don't even know why I was so upset."

"Maybe it's because we haven't talked much since your trip," he offered gently. "I miss you too, you know."

My heart softened at that. He was right. The distance, the long flight, the lack of communication—everything had piled up, and I had taken it out on him. I sighed, leaning back into my pillow.

"I miss you too," I typed. "I just... I don't know how to handle it sometimes."

"That's okay. We'll figure it out together, like we always do."

I smiled at his words, feeling the tension slowly fade away. Despite my unnecessary anger, Ashutosh always knew how to ground me. He never made me feel like I was too much, even when I felt like I was being irrational.

"Thanks for putting up with me," I sent, feeling a little lighter.

"I'm not putting up with you, pumpkin," he finally used the nickname, and I couldn't help but smile wider. "I'm here because I want to be. I care about you, even when we argue. And I'm not going anywhere, so stop worrying, okay?"

I laughed, wiping away the remnants of my tears. "Okay, I'll stop worrying. But you better send me that audio when your phone's fixed!"

He sent back a laughing emoji. "Deal. Just give me a little time to fix it, and I'll sing your favorite song."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

As the conversation ended, I felt a sense of peace wash over me. It wasn't just the resolution of the fight that made me feel better—it was knowing that no matter how silly or emotional I got, Ashutosh would always be there, steady and unwavering.

I put my phone down and lay back, staring at the ceiling with a small smile. Erin, who had been watching quietly from her side of the room, raised an eyebrow.

"Feeling better now?" she asked with a smirk.

I nodded. "Yeah, I guess I was overreacting."

She rolled her eyes playfully. "Told you. You always overreact. But hey, at least he's a good one. You're lucky."

"I know," I replied, my smile growing softer. "I really am."