Chapter 64
**Sara**
I stared at Jessica, my mouth still hanging open like a broken garage door. "But... but..." I stammered, trying to process this bombshell she'd just dropped on me.
"Close your mouth, Sara. You'll catch flies," Jessica said, rolling her eyes. She stood up, smoothing out her skirt. "Come on, we better get to class. Even if Professor Hottie isn't teaching anymore, we still have to show up."
I nodded dumbly, my brain still short-circuiting as I got to my feet. We started walking towards the lecture hall, my legs moving on autopilot while my mind raced.
Tom was gone? Just like that? No goodbye, no explanation, nothing? It felt like someone had pulled the rug out from under me, and I was free-falling into a pit of confusion and... was that disappointment? No, it couldn't be.
"Earth to Sara!" Jessica's voice cut through my mental spiral. "Are you even listening to me?"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, totally," I lied, having no idea what she'd been saying.
"Yeah, right. I just told you I'm planning to elope with Professor Blackwood and move to Antarctica to start a penguin farm, and you said 'that's nice'."
I blinked at her. "You did not."
"No, but I could have, and you wouldn't have noticed," she said, shaking her head. "What's going on with you?"
"Nothing," I said quickly. Too quickly. "I just... need to check something."
I fumbled for my phone, nearly dropping it in my haste. Jessica raised an eyebrow but didn't comment as I pulled up my messages.
My thumb hovered over Tom's name for a moment. Was this a good idea? Probably not. Was I going to do it anyway? You bet your ass I was.
I typed out a message, deleted it, typed another one, deleted that too. Finally, I settled on something that hopefully didn't scream, "I'm totally not freaking out about you leaving":
"Hey, heard a rumor you left the university. Everything okay?"
I hit send before I could chicken out, then immediately regretted it. "Oh god, what have I done?"
I stared at my phone screen, willing it to light up with a notification. Nothing. Nada. Zilch. The universe, it seemed, was determined to keep me in suspense.
"Sara, come on!" Jessica tugged at my arm, practically dragging me towards the lecture hall. "We're going to be late!"
"But... but..." I stammered, still glued to my phone. "What if he replies?"
Jessica rolled her eyes. "Then your phone will buzz, and you'll know. Now move it!"
I stumbled into my first class, still in a daze. My phone felt like a lead weight in my pocket, mocking me with its silence. As I slumped into a seat, I barely registered the professor's droning voice.
My hand snaked into my pocket, fishing out my phone for what felt like the millionth time. No new messages. Shocking.
"Ms. Parker, would you like to share this with the class? What's so fascinating on your phone?"
I jerked my head up, meeting Professor Johnson's annoyed gaze.
"Uh, just... checking the time?" I offered weakly.
"How thoughtful of you to keep us all on schedule," he replied dryly. "Now, if you could grace us with your attention..."
I nodded, shoving my phone back into my pocket for about thirty seconds.
As soon as Professor Johnson turned back to the whiteboard, I was at it again. Maybe Tom hadn't seen my message? Maybe he'd lost his phone? Maybe he'd been abducted by aliens and hurtled through space, unable to get cell reception?
Yeah, right. And I could sprout wings and fly to the moon.
The rest of the class passed in a blur of stolen glances at my stubbornly silent phone and half-hearted attempts to look like I was paying attention.
As I trudged out of my last class, my brain felt like it had been put through a blender. I couldn't tell you a single thing I'd learned today if my life depended on it. My mind was too busy playing a never-ending loop of "Where the hell is Tom?"
I fished my phone out of my pocket for the millionth time, hoping against hope that I'd somehow missed a notification. Nope. The screen mocked me with its emptiness.
"Ugh," I groaned, shoving it back into my pocket with more force than necessary. A passing freshman gave me a weird look. Yeah, buddy, I'm the crazy lady talking to herself. Keep walking.
I started the familiar walk back to my apartment, my feet on autopilot while my mind raced. Where the fuck did he go? Did he get abducted by aliens? Join a secret government agency?
"Get a grip, Sara," I muttered to myself. "He's probably just... busy. Yeah, busy. With what? Who knows! Maybe he's... knitting sweaters for orphaned kittens or something."
I snorted at my own ridiculous thoughts. God, I was losing it.
As I rounded the corner to my street, I couldn't take it anymore. I yanked my phone again and hit Tom's number before I could chicken out.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
"Come on, you stupidly attractive man. Pick up the damn phone," I hissed.
Ring. Ring. Ring.
"Hey, this is Tom. I can't pick up the phone right now, but leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
I let out a frustrated groan. "Seriously? Voicemail? What are you, living in the Stone Age?"
I shoved my phone back into my pocket, resisting the urge to chuck it into the nearest storm drain. As I fumbled with my keys at my apartment door, I wondered if this was karma for all those times I'd ignored my mom's calls.
"Maybe he's joined a silent monastery," I mused as I kicked off my shoes, wincing as I flexed my aching toes. "Or he's on a super-secret mission to save the world from an alien invasion. Yeah, that's gotta be it. Tom's probably out there right now, wielding some high-tech gadget and looking unfairly handsome while he does it." I snorted at my own ridiculous imagination, padding across the cool hardwood floor of my apartment.
The silence that greeted me only emphasized how much I wished I could hear his voice right now, even if it was just to tell me he was busy or couldn't talk. Anything would be better than this maddening radio silence.
I flopped onto my couch, staring at the ceiling. "Or maybe," I said to the empty room, "he's just not that into you, Sara."
The silence that followed was deafening.
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