And then— her post.

New. Fresh. Maybe an hour old. A picture of something dumb, something normal, something that had no business stopping your scroll. But it did. You stared at it a second longer than you should have.

And then the thought hit.

Not a good one. Not a smart one. But funny enough to try.

You didn't wait. Didn't reason with yourself. Your thumb moved before your brain caught up.

You closed the app. Locked your phone. Tossed it on the bed.

Forgot it even happened— or told yourself you did.

Hours passed. Dinner came and went. You were in the kitchen, reaching for water, when a quiet buzz pulled your hand back toward your pocket.

You unlocked the screen. Opened the app.

Seen.

No reply.

And for some reason— that sat worse than silence ever had.

You were about to set the phone down when the screen lit up again.