My fingers trembled against the cold edge of the library desk as I stared at the text on Danny’s unlocked phone: ‘She’s falling for it. Just like you did.’ The timestamp was from yesterday — hours after he kissed me behind the auditorium, whispering that I was different, that I was real.

Rain lashed the windows, turning the campus lights into smeared halos. I wanted to scream, to throw the phone, to run. But then I heard footsteps echoing down the aisle — steady, familiar. Danny.

He stepped into view, backpack slung low, eyes widening when he saw me holding his phone. 'Kathleen—'

'Did you ever see me?' My voice cracked. 'Or was I just practice for getting back at her?'

He didn’t answer. And in that silence, everything shattered.