A week went by, and Emma didn't hear from Max. She tried not to think about it, focusing on her writing and her daily routine. But she couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. She'd thought they had a connection, but maybe she'd misread the signs.
As the days passed, Emma's mind wandered back to their conversation on the beach. She'd felt like she'd connected with Max on a deep level, but maybe it was just her imagination. She started to wonder if she'd been foolish to think that someone like Max would be interested in her.
One evening, as she was working on her writing, Emma's phone buzzed with a text from an unknown number. "Hey, it's Max. Sorry I haven't been in touch. Can we talk?" the message read.
Emma's heart skipped a beat as she read the message. She hadn't expected him to reach out after a week of silence. She hesitated for a moment before responding. "Hey, yeah, sure. What's going on?" she replied.
As she waited for Max's response, Emma couldn't help but feel a mix of emotions. She was happy to hear from him, but she was also a little cautious. What had happened to make him disappear for a week?
Max responded quickly, suggesting they talk on the phone instead of texting. Emma agreed, and they scheduled a call for the next day.
The next day, Emma waited anxiously for Max's call. She'd been thinking about him nonstop, wondering what had happened and why he'd been out of touch.
When the phone rang, Emma's heart skipped a beat. She took a deep breath and answered, trying to sound calm.
"Hey," Max said, his voice low and smooth. "I'm sorry again for not being in touch. I know I disappeared without explanation."
Emma let him continue, curious about what had happened.
"I had some family stuff come up," Max explained. "My sister was in an accident, and I had to be there for her."
Emma's heart went out to him. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that," she said. "Is she okay?"
"Yeah, she's going to be fine," Max replied. "But it was a close call, and I needed to be there for my family."
Emma understood. She'd do the same thing if her family needed her. "Of course, family comes first," she said.
They talked for a while longer, catching up on each other's lives. Emma was relieved to hear that Max's sister was okay, and she was happy to have talked to him again.
As they wrapped up their conversation, Max asked Emma if she'd like to meet up again soon. Emma's heart skipped a beat as she agreed.