ARIANA'S POV:
I went to the restaurant to meet him, my heart oddly light with anticipation. As I stepped inside, I look around but he was nowhere in sight.
I called a waiter over.
"Excuse me… Percy? Is he here today?"
The waiter gave me an apologetic smile. "He left. He went back to Italy."
My eyes widened in shock.
"He… what? When?"
"This morning. He said his mother is sick."
Oh.
That made sense… but still.
Why didn't he tell me? Why didn't he text me? Even a short message would've been enough so I wouldn't be standing here like an idiot, worried and confused.
For a brief moment, a painful thought crossed my mind.
Maybe he just… didn't care enough.
I thanked the waiter quietly and walked outside, the cool air hitting my face. Just as I reached the sidewalk, a notification popped up on my phone.
Percy.
My heart skipped. I immediately opened it.
Percy:I am going back to Italy because my mother fell ill and she needs me, so I had to leave suddenly. Take care and don't worry about me. I hope you understand. 😊
I let out a long sigh of relief without even realizing I'd been holding my breath.
At least he told me.
At least… I mattered enough for a message.
When I got home, I curled up on the couch and turned on the TV, though I wasn't really watching anything. My thoughts kept drifting back to him...his smile, his kindness, the way he had helped me that rainy night.
The front door opened, and Mykel walked in.
"Hi, honey!" he said warmly, leaning down to kiss my cheek in greeting.
"Hi," I replied with a gentle smile.
"How was your day?"
"Fine. What about you?"
"Pretty good… you know how investors are stubborn and stupid, so I had to deal with them in their own way." He chuckled, loosening his tie.
I laughed softly. "Sounds exhausting."
"What about you? Anything special happen?"
"Yeah… remember Percy? My friend, the one I stayed with when it rained?"
"Yeah… what about him?"
"He was studying medicine here, but he returned to Italy because his mother is sick."
"Oh… that's sad. You should ask him about her health."
"I did," I said, glancing at my phone. "He hasn't replied yet."
"Oh… okay." He nodded thoughtfully. "By the way, your Aunt Rebecca called me. She said she wanted to talk to you, but you're not answering her calls."
I groaned softly, leaning back into the couch.
"Yeah… because she's always curious and worried about my life. I'm fed up with it. I know it's because she cares, but it's too much. It's like I have to give her a 24/7 report about everything. Even if I talked to her yesterday, she wants updates today. And if I tell her something even slightly concerning, she tells the whole family… and then everyone starts calling me."
He chuckled lightly.
"Okay… do whatever you want," he said, raising his hands in surrender. "I'm going to freshen up, then we'll eat dinner together. Alright?"
"Sure," I nodded.
As he walked away, I looked down at my phone again, hoping for another notification.
But the screen stayed silent.
And for some reason… that silence felt louder than anything.