Unspoken

Chapter 3

Later that night, Mia sat cross-legged on the couch, her laptop perched on her knees but untouched. The room was softly lit by the string lights draped around the windows, casting a warm, gentle glow. Her textbooks lay scattered across the coffee table, ignored. A modern art paper was due in just a few days, but instead of focusing on the screen, her mind kept drifting to her earlier encounter with Jake.

Jenna lounged at the other end of the couch, scrolling through her phone and occasionally laughing at something she saw. She hadn't noticed Mia's distracted expression, but Mia couldn't help it. Her thumb hovered over her phone; Jake's number freshly saved in her contacts. She still hadn't mentioned to Jenna that she ran into Jake at the coffee shop again earlier that day. Instead, she found herself debating whether she should send him a text.

Should I text him? Mia wondered, her gaze fixed on her phone screen. It hadn't been that long since they exchanged numbers—just a few hours—but maybe it was too soon. She couldn't shake the thought that she might seem too eager. But if she waited too long, would he think she wasn't interested? What if I text and it's too casual? Too soon? What are the societal rules for this kind of thing?

Jenna glanced up, sensing the shift in Mia's focus. She put her phone down and leaned forward. "Alright," she signed, getting Mia's attention. "Spill it. What's going on?"

Mia sighed and looked down at her phone. Her fingers nervously tapped against the screen. "I'm thinking about texting Jake, but I don't want to seem too eager," her expression a mixture of hesitation and uncertainty.

Jenna raised an eyebrow. "Jake? Who's Jake?" she signed quickly, her expression playful. Then her eyes widened, a smirk spreading across her face. "Wait. Gallery Guy?"

Mia nodded, her cheeks warming. "Yeah, him. We ran into each other at the coffee shop again. We talked for a bit, and then he wrote down his number for me." She gestured toward her notebook, where a scrap of paper lay with his number written on it.

Jenna's grin grew wider as she laughed. "And now you're stressing about texting him?" she signed, clearly entertained by Mia's internal struggle.

Mia shrugged; her cheeks still flushed. "I just don't want to come off as too forward. What if he thinks I'm desperate?"

Jenna waved her hands dismissively, clearly unconcerned. "He gave you his number, right? He's not going to give it to just anyone. That means he's interested. Text him." She leaned back on the couch, a smirk still playing on her lips. "It's not like you're sending him a love letter. It's just a text."

Mia hesitated, staring at the number on the screen. "But what do I say? How do I even start this conversation?" She glanced at Jenna, who was watching her trying to contain her laughter.

Jenna rolled her eyes playfully, clearly exasperated by Mia's overthinking. "Keep it simple, okay? Don't overthink it. Just say hi or something. You're making it more complicated than it needs to be."

Mia nodded slowly, her thumb hovering over the keyboard. Her thoughts felt like a swirl of confusion and excitement, but she knew she couldn't keep avoiding it. She typed out a simple message, then froze, her finger poised over the send button.

Mia: Hey Jake, it's Mia from the coffee shop.

Her thumb hovered, unsure whether that was enough or too little. She looked at Jenna for reassurance, but Jenna just gave her a playful thumbs up. It's fine. Just send it.

Mia inhaled deeply and pressed send, setting her phone down immediately, as if the act of texting would make it real. Seconds ticked by in silence, and Mia could feel the anxiety rising. Her phone buzzed, and she jumped, quickly grabbing it. She stared at the message, her heart skipping a beat.

Jake: Mia! Hey! I was wondering when you were gonna text. I was starting to worry you lost my number!

A small smile tugged at Mia's lips as she showed the screen to Jenna, who raised her eyebrows. "See? Told you he'd text back."

Mia exhaled, feeling a wave of relief. She quickly typed her response, her fingers tapping more confidently now.

Mia: How'd the rest of your afternoon go?

Jake: Pretty successful, actually. I ignored everything important and sketched instead. You?

Mia grinned to herself, already imagining the grin on Jake's face as he typed. She loved how casual and easy their conversation felt.

Mia: Zero progress on my paper, but I did reorganize my closet.

Jake: Top-tier avoidance. Respect. Who needs deadlines when your socks are color-coordinated?

Mia couldn't help but laugh, feeling her shoulders relax.

Mia: Exactly, Priorities.

Jenna looked over at her with an expectant grin. "He's funny. You two are already hitting it off."

Mia pushed Jenna's shoulder playfully. She picked up her phone again, only for it to buzz once more.

Jake: Any chance you want to procrastinate together sometime?

Mia's heart fluttered. She glanced over at Jenna, who was watching her intently, her eyebrows raised as if waiting for some big revelation.

"What did he say?" Jenna asked eagerly.

Mia's smile widened. "He wants to meet up again. Soon."

Jenna grinned. "What are you waiting for?! Answer the man!"

Mia laughed, her pulse quickening. She glanced at the message one more time before typing back.

Mia: Sure, that sounds fun. Let's plan something soon.

Jenna gave her a thumbs-up, clearly pleased with the whole situation. "I don't know why you were stressing. You two are natural together."

Mia smiled; her chest warm with a fluttering feeling she couldn't quite place. "Yeah," she agreed, typing out another message to Jake. "I guess so."