My buddy knew how hopelessly in love I was with Serena Cross. He spent an entire week cornering her around campus, badgering her until she finally gave him her number so he could pass it to me. To show my gratitude for helping me make that first terrifying leap, I emptied my entire savings account to buy him a designer watch. Immediately after, I began agonizing over what to text Serena. During the day, I’d send her little snapshots of my life; at night, we’d stay up late, whispering our deepest secrets through blue text bubbles. Within a year, we had become inseparable, sharing a connection that felt deeper than anything I’d ever known. Finally, I gathered every ounce of courage I had and sent her a text: [The weather’s supposed to be nice tomorrow. Want to get coffee?] Serena replied almost instantly: [Babe, we literally just said goodbye?] While I sat there staring at my phone, completely baffled, my buddy pushed open our dorm room door. He was holding a gift box, looking sheepish and red-faced. "Hey, Jude," he said, sounding terribly apologetic. "So, when I got her number last year... I think I forgot to mention it was for you. She's been under the impression that the person texting her this whole time was... well, me." 1 The entire dorm room went dead silent. The only sound was the sharp, repeated chime of my phone vibrating against the desk. Serena's messages were flooding in, one after another: [Did I scare you by confessing so suddenly?] [Actually, I’ve been building up to this for a long time.] [This past year of texting you... I could feel how sweet and genuine you are.] [At first, I thought I just saw you as a close friend. But then, whenever I didn't hear from you, my chest would ache. That's when I knew. I've fallen for you.] [I'm sorry to spring this on you out of nowhere and just confess like this—] But before the next sentence could load, every single one of those messages vanished. [Message unsent.] [Message unsent.] "I'm so sorry, Jude," Zachary said, offering a soft, sympathetic smile. He set the gift box on his desk and pulled out a sleek velvet case. He opened it, admired the designer tie clip inside, and kept it. Then, he tossed the matching cufflinks over to me. "I actually just said yes to Serena. She asked me out. So, obviously, I can't let her keep texting you anymore." He knelt beside my chair, resting his chin on his hands as he looked up at me with bright, innocent eyes. "I gave her my actual number and told her my old account got hacked. So..." A cold sweat broke out across my forehead. A sickening, impossible realization began to take shape in my mind. With trembling fingers, I opened our chat, typed a single question mark, and hit send. A second later, a harsh red error circle flared onto the screen. [Message failed to deliver.] My heart dropped into a bottomless, icy pit. Three hundred and sixty-five days. Just like that, Serena had erased me. We had literally stayed up talking until four in the morning. Seeing me frozen, Zachary shoved the silver cufflinks into my palm and chuckled. "Oh, come on. Honestly, if she hadn’t thought she was talking to me from the start, she probably wouldn’t have even given you the time of day. You know how cold and untouchable Serena is. Half the guys on campus have tried and failed. Just think of these cufflinks as a little—" "Zachary," I interrupted, my voice flat and hollow. I turned my head away, unable to bear the sight of him. "We're not friends anymore. Don't call me your brother." Before he could say anything, I pushed past him, climbed up to my bunk bed, and drew the curtains shut, clinging to the last shred of my dignity. Huddled in the dark, I scrolled back through a year’s worth of messages with Serena. At the beginning, the screen had been a wall of my blue bubbles, with her replying in polite, brief sentences. But slowly, her tone had shifted. If I went silent for a few hours, she’d send a tentative [Hey, you there?] For the past three months, our roles had completely reversed. She was the one who was constantly reaching out, eager to share every mundane detail of her day. I had been so full of hope. My heart had felt light, buoyed by the belief that all my quiet courage hadn't been in vain. But now, it was all shattered. I buried my face in my pillow and cried until sleep finally claimed me. The next morning, someone yelled from the doorway. "Jude! There's a really gorgeous girl downstairs looking for you. She said her name is Serena." 2 My eyes snapped open, every trace of sleep instantly vanishing. I glanced over at Zachary’s empty mattress, threw off my blankets, and scrambled out of bed. Part of me wanted to run to the mirror and make myself presentable, but the panic of keeping her waiting won out. I grabbed a black face mask, threw on a heavy winter coat to hide my rumpled clothes, and hurried down the stairs. During that brief descent, a dozen desperate hopes raced through my mind. Maybe she had realized that Zachary's personality didn't match the texts at all. Maybe she had figured out the truth, and she was here to apologize... "Jude." A cool, beautiful voice called out. I tried to steady my breathing, keeping my eyes downcast. I looked at the silver bracelet on her wrist—the one we had spent three hours choosing together over text. I gave a quiet, muffled, "Yeah?" "What is it that you want?" Serena asked. I jerked my head up, staring at her through my glasses. Serena was completely expressionless, her gaze distant and cold. "Zachary was crying last night. Because of you. I don't know when you first noticed me, or when you decided you had a crush on me—" She took a slow, deep breath, her brow furrowed in a tight line of irritation. She looked at me with a cold, impatient disdain she’d never once shown in her messages. "But let me make one thing entirely clear: Zachary is my boyfriend. That is my choice, and it isn't going to change. Not now, not ever. So I don't want you taking your frustrations out on him. Do you understand?" Tears stung the backs of my eyes, blurring her cold silhouette. I dug my fingernails into my palms and forced the words past the lump in my throat. "The person you talked to every night... that was me, Serena. It was always me." A harsh, mocking laugh cut through the cold morning air. "Zachary warned me about you. He said you were desperate enough to try this. He said you'd lie and claim his words as your own just to get to me." Serena’s gaze turned to pure disgust, sharp and unyielding. "So let me tell you this, Jude: even if it [had[ been you behind those messages, I still wouldn't want you. I want Zachary." The words felt like a physical blow. I stood there, feeling incredibly small, and let out a quiet, self-deprecating laugh. I reached down, unclasped the matching silver bracelet from my own wrist, and let it slip through my fingers. It hit the pavement with a dull, hollow clink. As I turned my back on her, I heard her voice soften with a sudden, tense hesitation. "Jude—" 3 Like a fool, I stopped. I couldn't help it. I had spent two years secretly admiring her from afar, and an entire year pouring my heart out to her through a screen. You don't just switch that off. I told myself that if she asked, if she showed even a shred of doubt, I would pull out my phone and show her every single message. "Jude?" Serena’s tone turned gentle, almost coaxing. She stepped closer behind me and whispered, "Zachary's ulcer is flaring up again. I bought him some medicine, but I forgot to give it to the guy who came down earlier. Could you take it up to him?" "Sure," I said. I grabbed the white paper bag from her hand and walked back toward the dorm entrance without looking back. The very last ember of warmth in my chest went cold. Maybe Zachary had been right all along. If it hadn't been for his face, Serena never would have spared me a single glance. 4 I tossed the medicine onto Zachary’s unmade bed. A few minutes later, the door swung open, and Zachary walked in, flanked by a couple of guys from down the hall. "Hey, Jude," Zachary said, his voice bright. "My girl is treating us all to dinner tomorrow night. You should come with." I kept my back to him, staring blankly at my desk. "I'm good." Behind me, one of the guys let out a quiet, mocking snicker. "Told you so, Zachary. He's still crying over Serena. As if she’d ever look at him. If you hadn't cornered her to get her number, a guy like him would be completely invisible to her." "Hey, cut it out," Zachary scolded gently, though there was a smug undercurrent to his voice. He walked over to my desk, leaning in. "Jude’s not like that. He just needs a little time to process everything. Right, buddy?" He blinked his wide, watery eyes, adopting that familiar, wounded-puppy look he always used when he wanted something. "Look, after my ex broke my heart, Serena just fell into my life. It feels like fate, Jude. You're my best friend. I just really want your blessing." As he gestured, his sleeve slipped back, exposing the jagged, pale scar on his forearm. The scar he’d gotten three years ago when he pulled me out of the way of a falling metal rack at a university exhibition. My chest tightened. The guilt, heavy and familiar, washed over me. I looked away, swallowing the bitterness. "Fine," I muttered. 5 I spent the next twenty-four hours forcing myself to swallow the bitter pill of reality. By the time evening rolled around, I splashed some cold water on my face, didn't bother styling my hair, and headed out to the restaurant. When I walked into the private dining room, Zachary and the other guys were still in the restroom. Serena was sitting alone at the large round table. She looked up, her gaze scanning my plain t-shirt and tired face. She gave a curt nod, then defensively pulled her hands off the table, leaning back into her chair as if to establish a boundary. My heart gave a painful twitch. Sitting across from her cold, guarded form, my mind flashed back to the warmth of her texts: [I think I found that stray cat you were feeding yesterday. Is this him?] [Thank you for listening to me vent tonight. Are you ever going to tell me your name?] [Don't cry over people who don't deserve you. They only target you because you're too kind.] The door opened, and Zachary returned, surrounded by his laughing entourage. The moment his eyes landed on me, his smile stiffened, a flicker of panic crossing his features. "Jude! Hey, man... I didn't know you were already here. You should've texted, I would've met you at the lobby..." Serena reached over, wrapping her fingers gently around his. "He's a grown man, Zachary," she said, her voice softening into an affectionate coo. "He doesn't need an escort. You need to focus on your own health." She reached into her bag and placed a sage-green thermos in front of him. "Here. Warm water, just like you like." Amid the appreciative teasing of the other guys, Zachary took the thermos. A brief flash of confusion crossed his face before he smiled. "Is this green one yours?" Then, he picked up a slice of fresh pineapple from the fruit platter with his fork and held it up to her lips. "Serena, you're seriously the best." Serena didn't open her mouth. She just stared at the yellow fruit. Zachary’s smile faltered, looking slightly embarrassed as he nudged the fork closer to her lips. "Come on, take a bite." She's deathly allergic to pineapple.[ The warning practically leaped to the tip of my tongue, but I forced myself to choke it down. I watched as Serena’s eyes went dark for a fraction of a second. But then, she smoothed her expression, leaned forward, and ate the pineapple. She smiled warmly at him. "Thanks, babe." 6 Serena watched Zachary as he went back to laughing and talking with his friends. She leaned back against her chair, her index finger tapping a slow, rhythmic beat against the dark wood of the table. Her eyes were clouded and intense. I knew exactly what she was thinking. She was wondering why the boy who had allegedly spent three days texting her about the "perfect sage-green thermos" he’d bought for her would look at it and ask if it was hers. "Excuse me, I'm going to run to the restroom," Serena said, standing up with a tight, polite smile. As she pulled her hand away, I caught a glimpse of what she was clutching in her palm: a blister pack of allergy medicine. Zachary paid her departure no mind. He turned to me, his voice dripping with magnanimity. "Jude, did you order anything yet? Seriously, don't be shy. Serena wanted to treat everyone to thank you guys for looking out for me in the dorm." I looked at the menu, feeling a dull ache in my stomach. "Whatever is fine." "Alright," Zachary said, turning to the waiter. "We'll go with these. Oh, and make sure there's absolutely no cilantro in any of the dishes. My buddy here gets physically sick if he eats it." He looked around the table, wearing a proud, self-satisfied grin that practically screamed, [See what a thoughtful friend I am? 7 With Serena out of the room, Zachary leaned in and whispered to the guys, his chest puffed out. "We went out last night, and she kissed me. We were lying on the grass looking at the stars, and she just stared at me for the longest time before leaning in. She told me I'm perfect just the way I am, and that I need to be more confident..." Amid the low, excited jeers of the guys, Zachary reached into his pocket and pulled out the designer watch I had gifted him a year ago. He slid it across the table toward me. "I wanted to tell her the truth, Jude. I really did. But you saw how she looks at me... she's in love with me. I can't just hand her over. This is the watch you gave me to say thanks. I'm returning it. We’re even now." The screech of my chair legs scraping against the hardwood floor cut through the room's chatter. I couldn't do this for another second. "I have to go," I said, my voice thick. I practically bolted for the exit. In my haste, I didn't see the door opening and collided straight into someone, burying my face into a soft, fragrant shoulder. "I'm sorry," I choked out, a tear finally slipping down my cheek as I pushed past her and ran. 8 After that night, Zachary and Serena's relationship became the talk of the campus. It seemed everyone knew that the untouchable Serena Cross had finally been tamed. Around Zachary, she was softer, sweeter than anyone had ever seen her. Zachary, entirely swept up in the thrill of his sudden romance, completely stopped trying to mend things with me. I threw myself into every extracurricular activity I could find, filling my schedule to the brim just to keep my mind from wandering back to those blue text bubbles. It worked, for the most part, until a warm evening a few weeks later. I was walking back to the dorm late when I noticed two figures arguing quietly in the shadow of the oak trees near the courtyard. "Babe, please stop being like this. How could you think I have feelings for Jude?" Serena sounded utterly exasperated. "I keep my distance from everyone. I don't even have other guy friends. You—" "I just can't stand the way he looks at you," Zachary grumbled, pulling his arm away from her. "We share a room, Serena. Every time you come over to see me, he's right there. Maybe... maybe I should just move out. We could get an apartment together." "That's not a good idea," Serena said, her voice tightening with a subtle note of scrutiny. "For an entire year, you were too shy to even tell me your name over text. Why are you suddenly in such a rush to move in together?" She let out a slow, measured breath, her tone shifting to something more clinical. "I want us to do this right. We have our whole lives after graduation. We don't need to rush this, do we?" The leaves rustled in the dry breeze. Then, Serena spoke again, her voice cool and calculated. "Actually, I have a friend who’s single. She’s gorgeous, though her temper is... a bit much. I wonder if we could set them up. I doubt a guy like Jude could ever catch her attention, but it would keep him occupied." Zachary let out an awkward, nervous chuckle. "Yeah. Yeah, that's a great idea. I'll pitch it to him when I get back. He'll probably be thrilled." 9 With graduation looming, I had already signed a lease on a small apartment off-campus. To keep the peace and avoid any more awkward confrontations, I didn't object when Zachary brought up the blind date. I just nodded and agreed. A couple of days later, Zachary was on a FaceTime call with Serena in our room. He grabbed my shoulder and yanked me in front of the screen. "See, Serena? I told him. Jude, seriously, her friend is a total knockout. She’s got a bit of a wild side—she actually got arrested once—but she’s harmless. Mostly." On Serena's end of the screen, a girl’s voice was ranting in the background, sharp and dripping with annoyance. "Are you kidding me, Serena? Why are you trying to set me up? Who said you could give out my number? I've said it a thousand times, I am not looking for a boyfriend! I would literally rather jump off a bridge than go on a—" The girl leaned into the frame to grab her phone, and our eyes met through the screen. She froze mid-sentence.
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