Jordan.

Day 37

37 days.
48 missed calls.
52 messages.

Jordan exhaled slowly though his nose. He couldn't avoid it anymore. It was time to go back to Cambridge. He had spent 37 days sitting in the same room, in the same chair, listening to the same playlist: one headphone in his ear, the other in Rose's. He knew she was listening.
Jordan sighed, glancing across to the girl lying beside him. If not for the tubes running into her nose and IV line in her wrist, someone could have mistaken her for sleeping. But he knew the truth behind the seeming serenity.

Jordan's phone screen lit up. Another notification- he expected it to be from the university, or his dad, but he was surprised to see it was from YouTube. Someone else had liked his video, the one of the song he wrote for Rose. It was as though the whole world had seen it - well, everyone except the girl it was intended for. Had she been so angry she didn't care enough to watch one video? He gave her the link when he returned the flannel shirt all those weeks ago. And it was as this thought crossed his mind that he saw it. The shirt. Carefully folded and placed on top of the plastic box labelled Rose's belonging. She must have taken it with her when she went surfing.
Without really knowing what he was doing, Jordan walked over to the shirt and picked it up. He brought it to his face, scrunching it together and absorbing the scent. It smelt of the sea and the city.
He let his arms drop, examining the shirt as he turned it over and over in his warm palms. Then he noticed it, in the corner of his eye he saw a piece of paper flutter down from the checkered fabric and fall to the ground. Jordan bent down, picking it up from the cold linoleum. He unfolded the slip of paper and saw... it was the link. The link to his video. Then he realised - Rose had never seen it. She never knew about the song he'd written for her. But what could he do about it now?
Jordan sighed again, long and low. He paused for a split second then made a decision. He booked a train ticket to Cambridge and began to collect his things.
For what felt like the thousand time that day Jordan glanced back over his shoulder to Rose as he was ready to leave, noticing the headphone he'd placed gently in her ear.
He had an idea.

Jordan walked over to Rose, picking up the phone that played the music. He unlocked it, opened google and began to type into the web search bar. When he was done he placed it back on the bedside table and waited. One second, two, more. Nothing stirred. He turned away, heading towards the door, leaving Rose in the room with his song playing in her ears.