This Time Will Be Different

Why Do I Keep Falling for the Wrong Person?

New girl.

New coffee shop.

Same damn butterflies in my stomach.

You know the drill.

Photo by Shivansh Sharma on Unsplash

This time, though, it felt different. We talked for hours, the kind of conversation that flows like good whiskey, smooth and warm.

I left feeling lighter, like maybe, just maybe, I'd dodged a bullet.

Then came the wait.

Three days.

No text.

Nothing.

My phone became an enemy, taunting me with its silence. I pictured her, laughing at my jokes, but with someone else. Someone who didn't have to wait for a text back.

Fourth day.

I caved.

"Hey! Just checking in. Hope all is well!"

Sent. Instant regret.

Hours crawled by. More agonizing silence.

Called Jake, my voice dripping with despair. "Dude, she's ghosting me."

"Dude, relax," he said. "You met her five minutes ago. Maybe she's busy."

Busy? Or just not that into me? The question gnawed at me.

Next day, I went back to the coffee shop. Same spot. Same coffee. No sign of her.

Pulled out my laptop, tried to write. My mind was a tangle…