Valentine’s Day was becoming a long, painful reminder of exactly how single you were. You were sitting in the courtyard with your friends, surrounded by a sea of red balloons and the smell of expensive chocolate. Your best friend was currently gushing over a giant teddy bear her boyfriend had just surprised her with.
"Isn't it the cutest thing ever?" she asked, hugging the bear.
You forced a wide, bright smile. "Totally. It’s perfect."
But as you turned back to your bag, your smile dropped. You felt a sting of envy behind your eyes. You didn't want a giant bear, but you wanted to feel like someone had thought of you. You felt like a ghost in a room full of happy people.
That’s when you saw Conrad walking toward your group. He was surrounded by his usual crowd of loud, laughing friends, but Conrad himself looked strangely stiff. He was walking faster than the others.
"Oh look, your favorite person is coming," Your best friend teased, nudging your shoulder.
You braced yourself, expecting Conrad to drop a sarcastic comment or mock the "lovey-dovey" atmosphere. But as he got closer, you noticed his face was a deep, burning crimson. His eyes were glued to the pavement, and he looked like he wanted to vanish into thin air.
His friends whispered and snickered behind him, giving him small shoves. "Go on, man, just do it," one of them hissed.
Conrad took a deep breath and stepped up to you. He didn't look at your face. Instead, he stared intensely at your shoes. Without saying a word, he pulled a crumpled paper bag and a small bundle from behind his back and shoved them onto your lap.
Inside the bundle were blue hydrangeas—not a fancy, store-wrapped bouquet, but a simple, beautiful bunch of your favorite flowers. Inside the bag was a box of the lemon tarts from the bakery three blocks away, the ones you always complained were sold out.
"Here," Conrad muttered. His voice was thick and awkward. "I had extras. My mom bought too many flowers for the house, and I didn't want the tarts to go to waste."
It was the most obvious lie you had ever heard. The flowers were fresh, and the tarts were still warm.
"Conrad?" you said, stunned. "Did you get these for me?"
He still wouldn't meet your gaze. He was so flustered that the blush had spread all the way to the tips of his ears. "Don't make it a big deal," he snapped, though there was no bite in his tone. "I just saw them and thought they were... whatever. Happy Valentine’s or something."
He didn't wait for a "thank you.". He turned on his heel and walked away so fast he almost tripped over his own feet. His friends let out a loud "Ooooh!" and started teasing him, throwing their arms around his neck as they walked off.