Chapter 4: Sunflowers, Simps, and the Real Reveal

A week later, my roommate forwarded a post from the campus confession wall. It was a candid shot of Carter playing basketball on the field. A girl had posted it, asking, "Anyone know this handsome guy? Does he have a girlfriend?"

Carter replied in the comments, "I have someone I like, but I haven’t won her over yet."

His reply blew up.

"Bro, even the top guy’s struggling—relatable."

"See, guys always like the ones who don’t like them back."

"I bet it’s because he’s always been chased, so he doesn’t know how to chase."

...

I poked Brianna, who was sitting next to me. "Does your boyfriend know who Carter’s crush is?"

"He doesn’t know for sure, but he said Carter sent the girl ten grand last week, just to cheer her up after a breakup."

Holy crap. No. Freaking. Way.

Brianna looked pained. "I almost feel bad for Carter."

Even I didn’t expect Mr. Ice Block to be simping for someone.

A couple days later, someone with the same profile picture as my mom suddenly added me.

"Baby, why’d you unfriend your mom?"

I figured they’d added the wrong person—what a weirdo.

Then my mom called.

"Baby, I was traveling in Italy last month and didn’t have time to chat, but you can’t just unfriend your mom!"

My hand froze around my phone, and I quickly scrolled to my Messenger contacts. Oh no, two identical golden sunflower profile pics, both in full bloom.

I’d never set a nickname for my mom, and she loved changing her display name and status. But she’d kept this golden sunflower for ages, saying it brought good luck. So I always recognized her by her profile pic.

But this person, with the same profile pic, who’d chatted with me, acted all close, and even sent me money—who was it really?

The only person I’d added and then deleted this past month was Carter. I’d deleted him so fast, I didn’t even notice his profile picture.

A vague suspicion crept up on me, but I wasn’t sure.

I had Brianna bring her boyfriend over to check everything with me—nickname, profile pic, transfer times—they all matched up.

I burst out laughing. No way. This had to be a dream.

I typed cautiously, "Are you Carter Evans?"

He replied instantly, "Yeah, sweet baby."

It wasn’t just me—Brianna and her boyfriend Mason were there too. We all needed heart meds. Brianna’s jaw dropped, Mason started laughing so hard he almost fell off the bed, and me? I just sat there, staring at my phone, wondering how on earth I’d managed to pour my heart out to the wrong person for an entire month. If my life were a rom-com, this would be the part where the laugh track kicks in. Only in college, right?