Hope sat at the edge of her bed, her phone resting lightly in her hand, the screen glowing against her skin.
She wasn't typing.
She wasn't calling.
She was just… staring.
There were so many things she wanted to say, but none of them felt safe enough to send.
Because Hope had a habit —
she felt too much,
and said too little.
Her fingers hovered over the keyboard before pulling back again.
"Did you get home safe?"
Too simple.
"I miss you."
Too vulnerable.
"I've been thinking about you."
Too honest.
She sighed softly and dropped the phone beside her, falling back onto the bed.
The ceiling didn't have answers.
It never did.
But somehow, she still looked at it like it might understand her better than people ever could.
Hope wasn't weak.
No… she hated that word.
She just felt deeply.
And sometimes, that depth became a place she couldn't escape from.
Her mind drifted to him again.
Miracle.
Even his name sounded like something she shouldn't get used to.
Something temporary.
Something dangerous.
She closed her eyes, exhaling slowly.
It wasn't just that she liked him.
It was the way he made her feel…
Seen.
Wanted.
Curious.
And then sometimes…
Confused.
Her body shifted slightly as she hugged her pillow closer, her thoughts becoming softer… slower… more dangerous.
She imagined him closer.
Too close.
The kind of closeness that made her heartbeat louder than her thoughts.
The kind that made her forget how to act normal.
Hope bit her lip gently, turning to her side.
Why did she always let her mind wander like this?
Why did she always feel things this intensely?
Because she was Hope.
And Hope didn't just like people.
She felt them.
Her phone buzzed suddenly beside her.
She froze.
Just for a second.
Then slowly…
She reached for it.
Her heart betrayed her immediately, beating faster than it should.
Her fingers unlocked the screen.
Her eyes scanned the notification.
And in that one moment…
Everything inside her shifted.
Because it was him.
And just like that…
Hope smiled.