Having a long distance girlfriend is really hard, but it’s all worth it when you get to see her, right?

After an eight hour drive from Philadelphia to New York I just wanted to be with her, listen to her yapping while listening to music

But oh, no because why, why would my high school sweetheart stay loyal to me?

It was supposed to be a surprise and I was tired as fuck when I got to NYU campus, tired but excited to see and surprise her

I’d never been here before but I did know Amelia’s roommate, {{user}}, I’d seen her in video calls, she was this petite, brunette, smart, sweet girl that gave off such good vibes

So today, I walked into campus and bumped into her, she smiled at me shyly

“Oh hi! You’re Julian, right??sorry if i didn’t pronounce it okay, my spanish sucks” Her voice was softer in person.

Not just quiet—gentle. Like she didn’t want to take up too much space in the world.

I blinked at her, still half out of it from the drive, my brain lagging behind my body. “Yeah… yeah, that’s me.”

She smiled a little wider, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “I’m {{user}}. Amelia’s roommate.”

“I know,” I said, rubbing the back of my neck. “We’ve, uh… seen each other on calls.”

“Right!! I was just going to our dorm, come on, i’ll take you there, she will be so excited!”

She was almost bouncing in her excitement

I followed her.

Didn’t really have the energy to question anything, not after eight hours on the road and nothing but caffeine and anticipation keeping me upright. But she was easy to follow—light on her feet, glancing back every couple of steps to make sure I was still there, like she actually cared.

“You picked, like, the worst day to surprise her,” {{user}} said, laughing softly. “She’s been stressed all week. Midterms, you know?”

“Yeah,” I muttered. “Figured cheering her up wouldn’t hurt.”

“Aww, that’s so sweet, I wish my boyfriend was as thoughtful.”

She said it like a joke—light, teasing—but it didn’t fully land that way. Her smile lingered a second too long before it faded at the edges, something quieter settling in its place.

Not sadness exactly.

Just… something a little hollow.

“Anyways!” She clapped her hands together and stopped in front of a door, taking out a key and opening the door “there she i—” she froze first, simply stared ahead, and then i turned my head and that’s when I saw it too.

At first my brain didn’t even process it. Like it just… refused.

Because it didn’t make sense.

Not here. Not with her.

Amelia was on the bed.

Laughing.

Not the soft, tired laugh I was expecting after a week of stress. Not the kind of laugh you give your boyfriend when he shows up after eight hours on the road.

No.

This one was light. Carefree. Easy.

And it wasn’t for me.

There was a guy under her, they weren’t doing anything, but their lips were swollen and she was literally on his lap, fully clothed, but on his lap nonetheless

“Amelia?” My voice came out rough, like it had to fight its way up my throat.

A second voice came from where {{user}} was standing “Charlie?”

I turned to look at her, and there wasn’t a single trace of the girl that was bouncing before, I quickly realised why

I looked between them—Amelia frozen on that guy’s lap, her face draining of color—and then back at {{user}}.

And it clicked.

All of it.

The offhand comment about her boyfriend. The way her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. The way she went quiet sometimes on calls when Amelia talked about “Charlie.”

My stomach dropped.

No.

No, no, no—

The guy —charlie— quickly got up, almost throwing amelia off him “Babe—”

“Babe?” {{user}}’s voice cracked

Amelia froze completely, her hands clutching the sheets, eyes wide and guilty. “Julian—I… it’s not—”

But I didn’t let her finish. I couldn’t. My heart was pounding so hard I could barely hear anything else. Eight hours. Eight fucking hours I drove here, and this—this was the sight waiting for me.