𝓔𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓷𝓪𝓵 𝓼𝓾𝓷𝓼𝓱𝓲𝓷𝓮
ᵁⁿᵉˣᵖᵉᶜᵗᵉᵈ ᶠᵃᶜᵉ ᵗⁱᵐᵉ ᶜᵃˡˡˢ

Elena sat cross-legged on the plush hotel bed, a bowl of popcorn balanced precariously beside her as Revenge of the Sith played on her laptop.

The room was dim, the glow from the screen casting a warm light across her face.

She was fully immersed in the movie, mouthing along to the dialogue as Anakin and Obi-Wan faced off on Mustafar.

"'You were my brother, Anakin! I loved you!'" she whispered dramatically, her hand clutching at her chest as if she were in the scene herself.

Just as she reached for another handful of popcorn, her phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Without looking, she assumed it was a notification—until it vibrated again, the familiar FaceTime ringtone cutting through the sound of the movie.

She reached for her phone, glancing at the screen, and froze.

Mason Thames.

Her heart skipped a beat, and her stomach did a strange flip.

Mason hadn't called - even talked to her in weeks—since New Year's, . She hadn't expected him to call now, out of the blue.

Swiping to answer, she brought the phone to her face, her voice hesitant. "Hello?"

The screen filled with Mason's familiar face, his hair slightly disheveled as if he'd been running his hand through it.

He smiled faintly, though he looked a little nervous.

"Hi, Elena," he said, his voice warm but uncertain.

She blinked, caught off guard. "Mason? what's going on?"

He shifted slightly, looking down for a moment before meeting her gaze again. "I, uh, I just wanted to check in. You know, see how you're doing."

Her eyebrows arched. "You're calling me at..." She glanced at the time on her laptop. "Almost midnight to check in?"

"Yeah," he admitted with an awkward chuckle. "I know it's late. For you I mean ya know time zones - I just... I felt like I needed to call you."

Elena stared at him for a moment, unsure of what to say. The silence stretched, making the atmosphere a little awkward.

"So," he began, scratching the back of his neck, "what are you up to?"

She gestured toward her laptop, her tone light but teasing. "Watching Revenge of the Sith. You interrupted the battle on Mustafar, by the way."

Mason's lips curved into a small smile. "Of course you're watching Star Wars. Should've guessed."

"Yeah, it's my go-to," she replied, the initial awkwardness starting to fade. "But seriously, Mason, what's going on? You haven't called in weeks."

His smile faded slightly, and he nodded, his expression growing serious. "I know. And... I'm sorry, Elena. For not reaching out, for being distant. I've been busy, but that's no excuse."

She sat up straighter, adjusting the blanket around her legs. "I mean... I figured you were busy. But yeah, it felt a little... weird."

"I was an idiot," he admitted, his voice soft. "I kept telling myself I'd text or call, but then I'd get distracted, and the next thing I knew, weeks had gone by."

Elena's gaze softened. "It's okay, Mason. You don't have to explain."

"No, I do," he insisted, leaning closer to the camera. "You're important to me, Star Girl. I don't want you to think I don't care because... I do. A lot."

Her breath caught, and she felt a blush creeping up her neck. "Thanks, Mason," she said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

"I mean it," he added, his expression earnest. "I missed talking to you. A lot."

She smiled, the warmth in his words easing the tension in her chest. "I missed talking to you too."

For a moment, they just looked at each other through the screen, the silence no longer awkward but filled with unspoken understanding.

"So," Mason said, breaking the quiet with a small grin. "Who's winning? Anakin or Obi-Wan?"

She rolled her eyes, laughing softly. "You've seen it a million times. You know who wins."

"Just wanted to make sure you're still on Team Kenobi," he teased.

"Always," she replied, her smile widening.

"Well," he said, his tone softening again, "I won't keep you from your movie. But... I'm really glad I called."

"Me too," she said, her voice light but sincere.

"Goodnight, Star Girl," Mason said, his signature nickname for her making her heart flutter.

"Goodnight, Mason," she replied before ending the call.

As she set her phone down and unpaused her movie, she couldn't stop the smile from spreading across her face. Despite the weeks of silence, it felt like nothing had changed.

— ETERNAL SUNSHINE —