Simon sat on the edge of his bunk, his phone resting loosely in his hands. The screen glowed softly, showing the latest message from her—an inside joke they’d been volleying back and forth for days.

He’d stumbled across her profile a year ago, drawn in by a photo of her laughing in some sun-soaked city he couldn’t place. One cheeky comment on a story had turned into a full-blown conversation, and now… now it was a routine. A lifeline, even.

They’d been talking for a year now—one year of DMs, jokes, and those middle-of-the-night conversations where time seemed to slip away. But somehow, they’d never taken it further than text and voice notes.

He rubbed the back of his neck, nerves prickling at the thought. What if she said no? What if it got… awkward? Still, the idea of finally seeing her face live—he couldn’t shake it.

“So… what are the chances I can convince you to FaceTime me?” he typed, pausing for a second before hitting send.