A little like love.

"Hi, Dawn! Ryan here. Call me back."
Dawn played the recorded message for the millionth time since evening.
"Call him back already! I'm tired of listening to the message." Trish exhaled sharply.
"I don't want to." With that, Dawn hit the Erase button and walked back to her room.

She picked up her laptop out of the pile of clothes. As she checked her regular e-mails, she was growing more impatient.

Just a 'call me back' after all that he's done and he thinks I'll forgive him? Huh. She thought as she desperately checked for his e-mail in vain. She looked up when Trish entered the room. She had no idea how long it was since she had been at it, but now she felt embarrassed. She closed her laptop and raised an eyebrow at her sister.
"Tell me." Trish asked.
"What?"
"What's going on with you and Ryan? And for Christ's sake don't lie, I can see things aren't fine. So, shoot!"
Dawn sighed. She had kept it from Trish for way too long anyway.
"He.. He forgot Valentine's day."
"Whoa. And you're acting weird 'cuz of that?"
"Uh, yeah. He had promised to take me out on Valentine's day. And he forgot the day."
"Sis, honestly, that is why you've been avoiding his calls?"
Dawn nodded.

Trish mused on it for a while before she spoke up.
"He isn't the kind that forgets, right? You used to tell me that all the time. Why then didn't he ask you out?"
"I dunno."
"What? Didn't you even ask?"
"This is the first time he's called in a week. I left him more messages than a stalker would."
"I won't ask you how you know that. But, hey, give him a chance to explain himself."
"Stop taking his side. It's been a week! He could've left the same message a week ago." She half shouted.
"Well, yeah. You've got a point. But aren't you the one who always tells me to reason with your loved ones?"
"Not this time, Trish. This is different."
"Well, he could've said the same when you forgot his birthday. He didn't though, did he?" She pulled on one of her infamous smirks.

Dawn turned her gaze towards the framed photographs on her wall. She felt a pang of guilt as the images of his last birthday materialised before her eyes. She swallowed hard and stood up.
She went straight to her closet and looked for the photograph she had buried between a stack of clothes. It was of Ryan's and hers, when they had first met a year ago.
A handsome, young man dressed in a black tailored suit and a beautiful, young girl in a beige dress. The photograph was taken by Trish after Ryan had danced with Dawn for over an hour.

Both lovers of literature and philosophy, Ryan and Dawn had hit it off with the very first sentence. Trish would always wonder out loud how two boring people could find equally boring companions was above her.

Lately, Dawn had grown more accustomed to Ryan and his awkward timings. He'd work all day and most of the nights and she'd wait for his text before she would doze off. This new change had resulted in Trish's moving into a different room. She could barely talk to her boyfriend or sleep in there, what with all the never ending Skype calls Dawn and Ryan would have.

Everything was going smoothly until Dawn forgot Ryan's birthday. She wasn't the kind that forgot people's birthdays, she always remembered all of them. This was just a one-time thing. She had had her exams the whole week and had dozed off before she could wish him. Thankfully, he wasn't the kind that was particular about being wished for birthdays. In fact, he barely ever celebrated it. But like Trish rubbed it in all the time, it was stupid of her to have dozed off.

Maybe I should call him back, she thought and walked back to her desk. She didn't even have to tell Trish about it, she knew her sister would call him back. She gave Dawn a thumbs-up and left.
Dawn dialed his number and waited for him to answer. After five rings, she disconnected the call and typed a message.

'Hi.'

She kept her phone aside and shook her head as if to filter the thoughts. She wondered when she had become such a selfish person. Her thoughts were interrupted by an incoming message.

'Busy. Will come over in 20.'

Dawn jerked out of the chair and rushed to the mirror. She looked at herself and almost shrieked. She looked like a homeless wreck in her pajamas and uncombed hair. She knew Ryan's 20 minutes would never get over that quickly. Still, she quickly showered and changed into jeans and tee. She pulled her hair into a neat pony and put on a little make up. When she looked presentable, she braced herself for a wait of another hour or so and walked out of her room.

When the bell rang in the next few minutes, Dawn didn't even move from where she was sitting in the living room. She was sure it couldn't be Ryan. Trish opened the door, pouting.
"Oh, hey. All set to become a martyr?" Trish talked in her teasing tone.

Dawn craned her neck to see who it was at the door, but she couldn't see anything except Trish. The voice that followed made her shoot a look at the clock.
"Haha, is she ready yet?"
Ryan's voice, Dawn thought as she stood up.

Ryan was standing at the door, smiling at Trish like he was amused by her tone.
"You are.. early," Dawn muttered as she walked to the door.
"Dawn! Is that how you greet a guest?" Trish asked, clearly trying hard not to smile.
"Valentine, Trish. Her Valentine." Ryan replied.
Dawn's cheeks were flushed red. When Ryan offered his hand, she took it and smiled at him.
"I thought you never wanted to talk to him again!" Trish protested.
"Apparently, you can't resist my charm. Yes, Dawn?"
"Impossible." Dawn smiled at him.