He frowned when there was no answer. Sighing heavily, he dropped the phone on the desk, disappointment etched on his face, undeniable.
But seconds later, the screen lit up with an incoming call from Rayna. His heart skipped and he picked it up immediately.
"Hello?"
"Hi," Rayna's voice came through, hesitant but calm.
"Hey," Ethan said, and for a moment, they both fell silent.
It was awkward, like walking barefoot over broken glass.
He'd been the one to call her and here he was, hi–ing and hey–ing her. What was wrong with him? Ethan mused as he took a deep breath.
"Listen," Ethan started, "can we talk? Maybe grab a few drinks later this evening? Just… talk."
Rayna didn't respond at first. He could hear the faint sound of her breath, maybe even the muffled voices of the city beyond her.
Then, softly, she said, "Sure."
A breath of relief escaped him.
"Great. I'll send you the address. Thank you, Rayna. For agreeing to meet up."
"Hmm," she hummed, and the call ended.
