it had been days since bella had called theo. days since theo picked up the phone, or went to work for that matter. he didn't want to. the macarons reminded him too much of her. the whole bakery reminded him too much of her.

he sighed and rolled on his back, staring up at the ceiling. white, blank. just like his mind. he furrowed his eyebrows and rolled on his side. why wasn't he thinking about anything? just this once, he wasn't thinking of work or friends or even, bella.

isabella marie maine. the girl that he fell in love with just by talking to her on the phone. three months, that they had been talking. three months and he still didn't know everything about her. he didn't know her birthday, or who her best friends were, or even why she was talking to him in the first place! his mind wasn't white or blank anymore. his mind was full of questions about isabella maine. why doesn't she like being called by her full name? was she a real person? why did she care about him so much?

he groaned as his mother walked in the door and sat on his bed.

"are you alright, theo?"

"you don't sound fine."

he snapped at his mother, but when he saw her face full of shock and hurt, he felt guilty.

"no, it's alright." his mum patted his leg and walked out of his room, closing the door behind her.

theo placed his head in his hands, shaking. trembling. he ruined everything. with his mum. with will. with bella. and he couldn't go back and fix it because he knew that they wouldn't even dare to look at him.

what is her doing? he's thinking about a girl who he's never met. a girl that he has yet to talk to. a girl that he's only talked to on the phone. he's met many beautiful girls in life. why is this one so special?

he hated thinking about her because every time he did, his heart thumped louder and faster. louder than elephants stampeding through the wilderness. faster than cheetahs running in the wind. great, now he sounded poetic and idiotic. theo rolled his eyes and sat up.

he looked around his cluttered room and noticed that the phone was sitting on his desk, drawing him in. he didn't want to, but he knew he should. so he called. he called her.

"hello?" oh, how he missed her voice.

he cleared his throat.

"theo? is that you?"

"oh, the usual. waiting for you to pick up the phone, waiting for you to call back."

he was interrupted.

"no, listen theo. i waited for you. for days and days. i hate waiting. stop making me wait. stop making me feel like this. like crap." she laughed dryly.

"stop making me feel like crap. like a horse's ass. i want to be in the light. not in the dark. it's just, i wanna let go. of you. but i know i can't. so help me lord. if i can't forget, you have to." theo could hear her voice breaking as she spoke. it pained him in the chest, as if someone had just punched him in the heart.

"just leave me alone, theo." then the line went dead.

and then, he cried. and not some wuss cry, actual sobs where it could be heard from the kitchen. he cried all night, not ashamed, wanting her back. wanting her to talk to him again.