why did he stop texting me suddenly

We were sitting across from each other at dinner on the second date, the conversation flowing, both of us talking and listening. We stayed out late. There was physical chemistry—kissing, touchiness, affection. In person, she seemed engaged and interested; she was present, affectionate, easy to talk to.

But between dates, it’s different. I’d check my phone, looking for her reply. There would be a message, but it was always brief, just a short response with nothing to build on. No follow-up question, no effort to keep the conversation going. If I didn’t send something, the chat would just stall.

This was already happening before our second date. I noticed then that I was always the one doing the work, trying to keep things moving with new topics or questions. Her answers were short, sometimes just a line, and she didn’t really ask about me. I kept thinking maybe it would change if we got closer, if the dates went well.

After the second date—the dinner, the easy talk, the affection, the kissing—I expected things to pick up over text. But they didn’t. If anything, her replies became even less frequent, even shorter. Sometimes I’d wait for a message, then finally send something myself, just to get a quick reply back.

I kept turning it over in my head. If she’s not interested, why keep meeting up, why be so affectionate when we’re together? But if she is interested, why does she barely text, and why is it getting worse? The contradiction sat there every time I looked at my phone.

It’s hard to know what to do. Part of me wants to ask her out for a third date, just accept this might be her style with texting. Another part feels like letting it go, since I’m carrying all the weight between dates.

So now, I keep checking my phone, reading the short replies, feeling uncertain. The in-person connection is still fresh in my mind, but the quiet between us is starting to feel louder. I haven’t decided what comes next.