"You are not joking. He called you,"

Beauty asked, her voice softer now, masking her disappointment.

"Yes! I still can't believe it".

Jessie exclaimed.

"Yeah.... Why exactly?"

"I'm not sure,".

Jessie replied with a laugh.

"He said he was just checking in, making sure I was doing okay after that stressful week at work. It's so thoughtful of him, right? I didn't even know he cared about me like that. You know, in that sort of way."

Beauty forced a small smile, but it didn't reach her eyes.

"Yeah... Very thoughtful," she replied slowly, her mind racing with conflicting emotions.

Suddenly, everything she'd felt earlier, the connection, the unspoken tension...