How to reply when he ghosts then messages a week later

A week after a second date is too long to be a coincidence. He had his phone. He could text. He chose not to. This matters because it tells you where you sit in his priorities. He may have liked you, but something else was taking up mental space. Someone else, a work thing, cold feet, or he was just testing to see how you'd react to distance.

When he texts a week later with something casual like 'How's it going?', he's checking if you're still interested and available. That's information for you. He's not leading with 'Sorry I disappeared' or 'Been meaning to reach out'. He's acting like normal time passed and normal people reconnect this way. You now know he doesn't view the silence as a problem.

Your message should do two moves. First, answer him directly and keep it light. Don't ignore his text or make him sweat. Second, show that you have a life that didn't pause while waiting for him. You don't need to name the gap, but you also don't pretend it didn't create one.

The tone matters more than the words. You're not cold or sarcastic. You're not gushing. You're someone who's glad to hear from him but who didn't spend a week thinking about him. Then you move the conversation forward. Ask him something about his week or suggest a plan. Make him do the work of rebuilding momentum. He broke it. He gets to experience what it feels like to earn your attention again.

After you reply, let him lead the next move. If he goes silent again, you have your answer and you don't text twice. One reply is the gift. A second text is chasing.

If he keeps texting and eventually suggests a third date, don't jump at the first option. Be actually busy. Take a day or two to get back to him. This isn't games. It's you not rewarding the behavior of disappearing for a week. If he flakes after a third date, the pattern is clear and you stop replying altogether. One ghosting is an anomaly. Two is a style.