As Eveline heard Gabriel's words, her heartbeat quickened. All of her internal numbness swirled through her mind.
There were no words for her.
She was so overcome with longing by his tone that it hurt her chest to speak.
All she wanted to say was, "I miss you too," but she was unable to.
She was afraid Gabriel would reject her or abandon her, so she refrained from speaking.
Gabriel's heart fell when Eveline ignored him in the interim. He would always feel uncertain when Eveline would not acknowledge his feelings, and he would feel like a loser who was incapable of even winning over a girl.
However, he could not shake an odd feeling that persisted: when and how did Eveline come to change so drastically? How come she felt so cut off from him?
"Can we meet?" he suddenly asked, breaking Eveline's thoughts and she nodded instantly.