Our Long-Awaited Real-Life Date Was A Total Mix-Up

We had been blissfully dating online for three months.

But the moment we finally met in person, he realized he had added the wrong girl.

Connor, our universitys golden boy, swept his gaze over me with an annoyed frown.

I don't know why you pretended to be the department sweetheart to add me, he said coldly, "but you're really not my type. Let's just delete each other and pretend none of this ever happened."

I nodded, swallowing my embarrassment, and hesitated for a long moment before finding the courage to speak up.

"Before we delete each other, could you send me your roommate's Instagram?"

After all, I had just realized that I, too, had added the wrong guy.

The silence that followed my words was deafening.

Connor's finger hovered over the screen, freezing right before he could hit block. He stared at me, looking as if he had misheard, his voice cautious.

"My roommate? Who? Nolan?"

My face burned as he hit the nail on the head. I lowered my head and gave a soft, embarrassed mumble of agreement.

Nolan was Hudson University's resident genius, boasting looks that rivaled Connor's. Countless girls had crushed on him, so it wasn't hard to guess. But unlike Connor, whose list of rumors and exes was endless, Nolan was an untouchable, quiet academic. No one had ever managed to get close to him.

Connor went silent for a long time, so long that I couldn't help but look up, ready to plead my case. After all, a girl like me had zero overlap with Nolan's social circle.

"Is it that difficult? I think I actually tried to add him before, but I got the accounts mixed up. If it's too much trouble, you can just tell me his handle."

Back then, to get Nolan's Instagram, I had volunteered to write a feature piece on the university's top student dorms. I ended up adding every single guy from the top three apartments. With so many new contacts flooding in at once, I must have swapped their handles.

Well. No wonder things had felt so strange.

The Nolan I had been chatting with wasn't distant or cold at all. In fact, we hit it off so quickly that he confessed his feelings to me within weeks.

It turned out to be a massive mix-up.

Connor's expression grew incredibly complex. "Why do you want to reach him?" he asked, trying to sound casual.

My mind raced, and I blurted out a perfect excuse. "The student council wants him to record a promotional video for the upcoming semester, but I couldn't find his direct contact info."

Connor pondered this for another moment before giving a barely perceptible nod.

"Fine. How about this? I'll send you his contact info, and you send me Sienna's. But let me warn you, Nolan is an arrogant prick. He might not even give you the time of day."

Hearing him mention Sienna's name again sent a dull ache through my chest.

I barely processed his warning, simply nodding like a robot while forcing a smile. I stared at our chat screen, waiting for him to send the contact card.

It was incredibly mortifying. On my screen, the very last message Connor had sent me was still sitting there, glowing in the dim light.

Babe, can I kiss you when we finally meet?

My cheeks flared up. Who could have predicted such a cruel twist of fate?

In the span of five minutes, a passionate boyfriend had reverted into a complete stranger.

To spare both of us further awkwardness, I tapped the settings and cleared our entire three-month chat history with one tap.

Connor caught my movement out of the corner of his eye. His expression darkened further, but he said nothing as he sent over the contact card.

I tapped it open immediately, zooming in on the profile picture.

Ah. So this was Nolan's actual account.

Their profile pictures were remarkably similar, a dark, minimalist aesthetic. It was an easy mistake to make.

I quickly screenshotted the card and tapped the top right corner of Connor's profile, preparing to delete him as agreed.

But before my finger could land, a cold hand wrapped around my wrist.

"Let's not delete each other just yet," Connor said suddenly. He seemed to search for a reasonable explanation before adding, "Just keep the chat logs cleared. Once I successfully add Sienna, you can remove me. Also, let's keep this little mix-up between us. I can transfer you ten thousand dollars to make up for your wasted time."

There was a strange, unreadable look in Connor's eyes as he spoke.

But I didn't dwell on it.

He was a legendary figure on campus, a wealthy heir from the finance department. Naturally, he wouldn't want anyone to know he had spent three months sweet-talking the wrong girl online. Paying for silence was standard procedure for guys like him.

Ten thousand dollars was probably just the price of one of his designer jackets. But to me, it was enough to cover my living expenses for a long time.

Besides, he had given me Nolan's real contact info. Any way I looked at it, I was coming out ahead.

"Deal," I said.

Under Connor's darkening gaze, I gave a casual wave of my phone and walked away.

The moment I turned the corner, the fake smile slid off my face.

I couldn't pretend to be strong anymore.

When I first realized we had added the wrong people, I had hesitated.

Even if it was a mistake, the three months of late-night conversations, the shared secrets, and the constant companionship had been real. The butterflies in my stomach and the genuine affection weren't illusions.

Nolan, on the other hand, was just a distant crush, someone I admired from afar but had never actually known.

If Connor had shown even a shred of hesitation back there, I would have suggested we try again, starting over as our real selves.

But Connor had been so cold, so decisive.

He didn't want me.

From the very beginning, the girl he had been looking for was Sienna.

On the walk back to my dorm, I couldn't stop the tears from spilling over.

By the time I composed myself and slipped into my room, the lights were about to go out.

Connor's transfer had already cleared. His promptness was a clear reminder to keep my mouth shut around Sienna.

Following our agreement, I cleared our brief transaction history and took a deep breath.

I turned to Sienna and told her that Connor wanted to add her.

Sienna froze, a look of pure delight washing over her face. Still, she seemed skeptical, asking me to confirm multiple times.

"Connor from the finance department? Are you guys close? Why would he ask you for my contact?"

I made up a plausible lie on the spot. "I interviewed him for a campus piece a while back. He happened to find out we were roommates and asked if I could connect you two."

Sienna nodded, glancing at my empty chat screen with Connor, and didn't press further.

"Thanks, Tessa."

Her eyes sparkled as she stared at her screen. True to form, Connor didn't make her wait. A second later, her notification light blinked.

I climbed up to my bunk and drew the curtains shut, wanting to block out the world. I couldn't bear to watch them hit it off.

But as I closed my eyes, sleep refused to come.

For the past three months, my entire life had revolved around my phone. At this exact hour, I would usually be pacing the hallway, whispering sweet nothings into the receiver, or exchanging blushing texts.

Just last night, I was imagining walking down the campus avenue under the canopy of old trees with my boyfriend, showing him the stray orange cat I fed behind the library, and booking study rooms together.

Now, those dreams were reduced to ash, leaving a hollow ache in my chest.

Across the room, the constant pinging of Sienna's phone and the soft click of her typing served as a relentless reminder.

Let it go, Tessa. It's over.

All of Connor's patience and affection had been meant for Sienna. Even when he whispered those sweet promises, the face in his mind had been hers, never mine.

Since he had corrected the course, I needed to stop drowning in the past.

I typed out one final message to Connor, a polite notice before removing him for good.

Hey Connor, I've passed along your contact to Sienna. I'll be deleting you now, as promised.

No goodbyes. There was no point.

I paused for a brief second, preparing to tap the block button, when a reply popped up.

Wait.

My finger froze.

The status at the top of the screen changed to 'typing...', but no message came through for a long time.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally sent a follow-up.

I just remembered, the imported medicine you asked me to get for your grandmother has already been shipped by my friend.

It should arrive in about two weeks. Let's keep each other added until I can hand it over to you.

His words jarred my memory.

A few weeks ago, I had offhandedly mentioned that my grandmothers heart condition required a specific imported medication that was incredibly difficult to find locally. Connor had immediately offered to have a friend source it from abroad.

I quickly typed back.

Thank you, Connor. I completely forgot about that. Let's keep each other added until the medicine arrives.

A few seconds passed before a simple reply came back.

Okay.

I realized I should pay him first.

By the way, how much was the medicine and shipping? I can transfer the money to you now.

My family wasn't well-off, and my grandmother usually refused to buy expensive medication to save money. But the money Connor had just sent me was more than enough to cover the cost.

I waited for his reply, staring at the screen until my eyes began to burn. No response came.

A wave of bitterness washed over me.

Before today, Connor would reply to my messages within seconds. Even if I had a nightmare in the middle of the night, he would stay awake to soothe me. Now, our texts were stiff, distant, and colder than those of mere acquaintances.

"Oh my god, Connor, your gaming rank is insane! You have to carry me tonight!" Siennas sweet voice suddenly echoed through the quiet dorm.

My chest tightened.

He wasn't replying to me because he was already busy playing games with Sienna.

Sienna had her headphones on, but she laughed, her voice dripping with affection. "My voice isn't that pretty. You're just saying that to flatter me."

"Be honest, how many girls have you used that line on?"

"Come on, a guy like you must have a long line of admirers. Don't lie to me, or your next food delivery won't come with utensils!"

Her giggles were endless. Even though she tried to keep her voice down, the sound pierced right through me, bringing a flood of sorrow.

Their beginning was going much smoother than ours ever had. I suppose this was how it was always meant to be.

I found my earplugs, shoving them in to drown out the noise, and let the tears flow freely in the dark.

After that painful wake-up call, I didn't have the courage to reach out to the real Nolan.

I dragged myself through each day, pasting on a fake smile, though my energy was entirely depleted.

Moving on takes time, I kept telling myself. It was just a silly misunderstanding. I'll get over it.

But while I was struggling to stay afloat, Sienna and Connor were thriving.

Connor started showing up in Sienna's life constantly. He would walk her to her 8 AM lectures, wait in long lines at the cafeteria to buy her favorite meals, and sit patiently for hours outside her dance studio while she practiced.

Sienna brought back designer snacks and pastries to the dorm daily, gushing about his thoughtfulness. Their social media feeds were filled with subtle hints of romantic dates and luxury gifts.

Within a week, the entire campus knew they were official. They were the perfect, high-profile couple, radiant and envied by everyone.

Unlike me. I was just a shadow who had briefly stolen a piece of someone else's affection in a digital world.

I began actively avoiding any place where Connor might appear. But with our campus being so small and Sienna being in my department, encounters were inevitable.

One afternoon, in a narrow, quiet corridor, I stumbled upon them.

Against the backdrop of a fiery sunset reflecting through the floor-to-ceiling windows, Sienna stood on her tiptoes, pressing a soft kiss against Connor's lips.

Connor's gaze darkened with intensity as he wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her into a deep, passionate kiss.

I froze, my mind going entirely blank. I forgot to turn around, forgot to run.

It was only when Connor's hand slid down to tickle Sienna's waist, causing her to let out a soft gasp, that I snapped out of it.

My eyes locked right into Connor's. His gaze was cold and annoyed, as if I were an intrusive pest ruining their moment.

A shiver ran down my spine. "Sorry," I whispered, turning to flee as fast as my legs could carry me.

I didn't stop running until I burst out of the academic building, gasping for air.

But before I could even catch my breath, my phone vibrated. The profile picture I had tried so hard to forget was lighting up my screen.

Tessa, didn't we agree to end this gracefully?

I hope you'll stop staring at Sienna and me. If she finds out even a tiny detail, I won't let it slide.

Also, please stop any feelings that shouldn't be there.