The Ethereal Love

CHAPTER 18

I slammed the door behind me as I stepped into the quiet house.

Empty.

The weight of the silence hit me like a punch to the chest, confirming what I already feared—she was gone.

Fuck. Shit. No...

I ran my hands through my hair in frustration and panic, pulling out my phone to call her, my fingers trembling as I dialed her number.

The ringing echoed in my ears, but she didn't pick up.

Again.

I tried once more

The weight of my guilt pressed down on me.

My chest tightened, and I could feel my heart pounding in my throat.

What have I done!! My mind raced, replaying every word, every look, every moment that led to this.

I'd hurt her.
I'd hurt her so bad.

I walked towards her room, the place that once held her warmth, her laughter.

Still... her fragrance lingered, soft and familiar, but so painfully out of reach.

The bed was unmade, just as she always left it, and without thinking, I lay down on it.

I pressed my face into the pillow, inhaling her scent.

It's like she was still here...
but she wasn't.

My thoughts swirled as the guilt crushed me. What the hell had I done to her?

God, if you're listening, forgive me for whatever mess I've created..
but more than that,
I need her to forgive me.

I need her to listen to me.
She has to listen to me.

But I didn't know how long I lay there.

The exhaustion, the mental war waging inside my head—it all blurred.

Somewhere, I must've fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, I jolted awake. My eyes darted to the clock—3:00 a.m.

I'd never woken up at this hour before, not without reason.

There was an odd emptiness that followed me as I got out of bed, my body on autopilot.

I didn't even realize I was hungry until I found myself in the kitchen. My eyes landed on a packet of instant noodles.

She always eats noodles.

The corner of my lips twitched into a small chuckle despite everything.

God, how many times did I catch her eating these at odd hours..

The memory flooded me, but then the ache in my chest returned, harsher this time.

I shook my head, reaching for the packet as my mind kept going back to her.