Dinner ended with the usual chaos of splitting bills, taking group selfies, and last-minute goodbyes. Everyone was tired but buzzing with the energy only a night like this could bring. The laughter echoed in the street outside the restaurant as people slowly peeled away in twos and threes, calling cabs or walking off into the soft warmth of the night.
But something inside me twisted.
As I stood with my arms crossed, watching our group disappear one by one, I suddenly felt... anxious. Not the kind of anxiety that made you want to run—but the kind that made you want to stay. It felt like I was walking away from something I hadn't finished, like I was leaving something behind. Someone.
Maddy.
He was lingering near the curb, hands in his pockets, scanning the area as if waiting for someone to make the first move. Our eyes met, and his face softened. He took a step toward me, lips parting slightly like he wanted to say something. Or maybe—just maybe—he wanted a hug.
My heart stuttered.
But just as he reached out, one of our friends—Rishi—slapped him on the back with a laugh. "Bro, your ride's here!"
Maddy blinked, startled, and glanced at the arriving cab. His chance to say whatever it was... vanished.
I quickly turned away, masking my disappointment. Maddy, however, wasn't done. He walked over to me again, now with a more serious look in his eyes.
"Diya," he said gently, "you're taking a cab, right?"
I nodded. "Yeah, it's booked."
"Send me the number. Text me when you get home. Please."
I managed a small smile. "Okay."
He looked at me for a second longer, like he wanted to say something else. But he didn't. He just nodded and stepped back, watching as my cab pulled up. I slid into the back seat and waved at him through the window.
He raised a hand in return, that familiar half-smile on his face.
And then the cab pulled away.
As the city lights rushed past the window, a silence fell over me—so sudden and heavy it almost hurt. My throat tightened, and before I could stop myself, tears welled up in my eyes. I wiped them away quickly, ashamed, but they kept coming.
Why was I crying?
Because I missed him already. Because I had left a part of myself back at that table, back where he laid his head on my lap and something shifted between us. Because this ache in my chest wasn't just friendship.
I was in love with Maddy.
The realization hit me so fast, so hard, it took my breath away. I didn't know when it had happened—maybe during our first video call, maybe the second he smiled at me in black, or maybe in the quiet moment when he let himself rest on me like I was home.
But now I knew.
And I was terrified.
What if I waited too long? What if someone else got to him first? What if he thought of me as just a friend?
I couldn't take that chance.
Without thinking, I unlocked my phone, found his name in my contacts, and called. My hands were shaking.
He picked up on the third ring.
"Hey," he said, his voice a little surprised, maybe even sleepy. "You okay? Did you reach?"
"I'm on the way," I said quickly. "But I need to tell you something. Now."
There was a pause. "Okay…"
I took a deep breath, heart thudding so loudly I was sure he could hear it. "Maddy… I think I like you. A lot. I didn't expect it, and I didn't mean for it to happen, but it did. I just— I couldn't let tonight end without telling you."
Silence. My heart dropped.
Then he laughed softly. "You always do this, don't you?"
I blinked. "What?"
"Steal the moment right before I was going to," he said, and I could hear the smile in his voice. "I forgot to tell you… I left my earphones in your bag."
My hand flew to my bag, and sure enough—there they were.
"I'll come by tomorrow to pick them up," he continued. "And when I do, I'll tell you my answer. In person."
He hung up.
I stared at the screen, breathless.
He didn't say yes.He didn't say no.But he was coming.
And that meant something.