A LOVE FORGOTTEN

Ethan's POV

The hotel room felt smaller tonight. The walls were closing in, and the quiet hum of the air conditioner seemed too loud, too intrusive. I paced the room, back and forth, my mind racing with thoughts of Emily.

The magnetic pull I felt the moment our eyes met—it hadn't gone away. It had only grown stronger the more I tried to ignore it.

I ran a hand through my hair, the frustration of not knowing what to do gnawing at me. Should I call her now? Should I wait?,the more time passed, the more I wanted to talk to her again.

I glanced at the clock on the wall. It was getting late, but it felt like there was a small window of time where it might not feel too impulsive. Maybe I should wait until tomorrow, I thought. But I don't want to wait. I can't stop thinking about her.

There was a strange restlessness in my chest, like something was pulling me toward her, and I had no idea what would happen when I finally crossed that line. But I couldn't shake the feeling that I was meant to reach out—maybe that's exactly what I'm supposed to do.

I finally stopped pacing, standing by the window, staring out at the city lights. What if I say the wrong thing? What if she thinks I'm too fast? The doubts came flooding in, but then I remembered the look in her eyes when we talked earlier. She was guarded, but she was also opening up. I didn't want to ruin it by hesitating.

Taking a deep breath, I grabbed my phone from the nightstand. I stared at her name on the screen, my thumb hovering over the dial. Every second felt like an eternity.

I hit the call button before I could talk myself out of it.

It rang twice before she picked up, her voice soft but clear.

"Hello?" Emily's voice was a warm, soothing sound.

" Emily," I said, trying to keep my tone casual, though I could feel the tension in my shoulders. "It's Ethan, I hope I didnt wake you"

There was a brief pause. "Oh, hey, Ethan. How's it going?"

I smiled to myself. She sounded more relaxed than I had expected, and that made me feel a little better.

"I'm doing well. Just wanted to check in with you," I said, the words coming more easily now. "Listen, I've been thinking about what you said at the seminar. And I thought maybe... if you're free on Saturday, we could grab some coffee, and maybe you could show me around town? I'm still getting familiar with the area.."

I held my breath, waiting for her response. I couldn't help but wonder if I was being too forward. What if she didn't want to spend time with me? What if I was overstepping?

But then I heard her voice again, calm and steady. "That sounds nice. I'd like that. Saturday works for me."

Relief flooded through me, and I smiled, even though she couldn't see it. "Great. I'll meet you a the restaurant by the beach?"

She hesitated for just a second before replying, "Sounds good. I'll see you then."

I couldn't help but grin like a fool. "Alright. I'm looking forward to it."

We exchanged a few more pleasantries before I ended the call. As I placed my phone back on the nightstand, I leaned back against the wall and let out a deep breath. My heart was still racing, but I couldn't deny the warmth spreading through me.

For the first time in a long time, I felt excited about something beyond my work. There was something about Emily that made me want to know more, to be closer to her. She was like a mystery that I couldn't solve, but I was willing to try.

As I smiled to myself, I realized that I hadn't been this eager for something in a long time. I had no idea where this was headed, I didn't care. I was just happy that I had finally taken the step.

And maybe, just maybe, this was the best step.