Do you like me?

Chapter 1

Sent at 11:47 PM

There are exactly three reasons you should never text someone at 11:47 p.m.
1. You're tired.
2. You're emotional.
3. You're overthinking everything.

I was all three.

I lay on my bed staring at the glow-in-the-dark stars stuck to my ceiling—the same ones I'd had since seventh grade because I never got around to taking them down. My phone rested on my chest, lighting up my dark room every few seconds with notifications from the group chat.

Maya: "Just tell him."
Avery: "Literally what's the worst that could happen?"
Maya: "He likes you. I promise."

I groaned and dropped my phone onto my face.

"He does not," I muttered to the empty room.

Noah Carter did not like me.

Noah Carter smiled at everyone. He was nice to everyone. That didn't mean anything.

Right?

I picked my phone back up and opened a new message to Maya.

"Okay but what if I just ask him? Like straight up?"

Three dots appeared instantly.

"DO IT," she replied.

My heart started racing so fast I could feel it in my throat. I switched over to Noah's contact, just to look at it. His name sat there so casually. Like it wasn't capable of ruining my entire life.

We'd been lab partners for two months. Two months of accidental hand brushes when reaching for the same pencil. Two months of him leaning a little too close to explain chemistry problems. Two months of me pretending my face wasn't on fire.

Maybe Maya was right.

Maybe I was overthinking.

Before I could talk myself out of it, I typed the words.

"Do you like me?"

Four words.

That's it.

My thumb hovered over the send button.

This was stupid. This was dramatic. This was—

I hit send.

The message whooshed away.

And that's when I realized something horrifying.

I hadn't sent it to Maya.

I'd sent it to him.

Noah Carter.

I froze.

My stomach dropped so fast it felt like I'd missed a step on the stairs. I scrambled to unsend it, but it was too late.

"Delivered."

I stared at the screen, barely breathing.

Then—

Read.

He was awake.

Of course he was awake.

The three little dots appeared.

Stopped.

Appeared again.

Stopped.

I think I actually stopped breathing.

Finally, my phone buzzed.

One new message.

From Noah.

I squeezed my eyes shut before opening it, like that might somehow soften the impact.

When I finally looked, my heart forgot how to function.

Noah:
"I was starting to think you'd never ask."