Chapter 99 One Month
At the mention of Amelia, Ryan’s smile faded into a more uncomfortable expression. He shifted slightly in his seat before responding.
"I don’t hate Amelia," he said honestly. "She’s kind and all that. But I don’t like that she keeps trying to hit on me. It’s obvious, and it makes things awkward. I don’t want to lead her on or give her the wrong idea."
Derek nodded slowly, understanding his point. "So you’re not interested in her at all?" He asked curiously.
Ryan shook his head almost instantly. "No. I respect her, but that’s it. My mind is already somewhere else."
Derek leaned forward slightly, resting his elbows on the table. "Then if that’s truly what you want," he said calmly, "you should meet this online girlfriend of yours. Stop hiding behind chats and messages. Meet her in person and see if this ‘vibe’ you keep talking about is actually real."
Ryan’s gaze dropped briefly to his phone again, then he looked back up with a small, determined smile. "That’s exactly what I plan to do," he said.
They talked for a while more, before Ryan decided to take his leave.
That evening, Ryan returned home feeling more restless than usual. The conversation with Derek kept replaying in his mind, especially the part about finally meeting the girl he had been talking to for months. What had once felt like a distant idea now suddenly felt very real, and that alone made his heart beat faster.
He walked into his room and decided to freshen up before his usual night chat with his mystery lady.
Finally, after preparing for bed, he sat on the edge of his mattress and reached for his phone. The screen lit up immediately, and just as he expected, there was a notification from her.
A small smile appeared on his lips as he opened their chat. Their conversations had become a daily habit, something he unknowingly looked forward to every night. Despite never seeing her face or hearing her voice, she had somehow become one of the most familiar parts of his life.
He typed first.
Thatloverboy
\[Hey… are you free to talk?\]
It didn’t take long before the typing dots appeared on the screen.
Justagirl
\[Always free for you,\] she replied playfully.
Ryan chuckled softly under his breath, leaning back against the headboard.
Thatloverboy
\[You always say that,\] he typed back.
Justagirl
\[Because it’s true, how was your day?\] she asked.
He paused for a moment, thinking about everything that had happened, from Derek’s teasing to his own growing determination and curiosity. Then he began typing again, slower this time.
Thatloverboy
\[It was good. But I kept thinking about something.\]
There was a short pause before her reply came.
Justagirl
\[That sounds serious… what were you thinking about?\]
Ryan hesitated, staring at the screen for a few seconds. His heart began to beat slightly faster as he finally typed the words he had been holding back for weeks, he had never felt this nervous about a girl before.
Thatloverboy
\[I think it’s time we meet.\]
The chat went quiet for a moment. The typing dots appeared, disappeared, then appeared again, as if she was unsure of what to say.
When her reply finally came, it was slower than usual.
Justagirl
\[Meet? Like… in person?\]
Ryan smiled faintly.
Thatloverboy
\[Yes. We’ve been talking for months. Don’t you think it’s about time we actually met?\]
Another pause followed, longer this time. He could almost imagine her staring at her screen, overthinking just like he was.
When she finally replied, her words were careful.
Justagirl
\[I don’t know… I’m not sure if that’s a good idea yet.\]
Ryan frowned slightly. Why was she saying that? Didn't she like him as much as he liked her? Or was he the only only that was having ideas in his head?
Shoukd he just ignore her and let it all go? Or was he just misunderstanding her? Ryan took a deep breath as he decided to ask, instead of assuming.
Thatloverboy
\[Why don't you think so? Don't want to meet me? Aren’t you curious about me?\]
Justagirl
\[I am,\] she admitted quickly. \[Very curious. But I’m scared.\]
He blinked at that, surprised by her honesty. So she was scared and not that she didn't like him.
Thatloverboy
\[Scared? Of what?\]
There was another pause before her response came, softer this time.
Justagirl
\[I’m scared that meeting might spoil what we have right now. Everything between us feels easy and comfortable. What if we meet and things suddenly become awkward? What if the reality doesn’t match the connection we feel here?\]
Ryan stared at her message for a long moment. He understood her fear more than he wanted to admit. Their bond had grown purely through words, emotions, and shared thoughts. There were no expectations about appearances or status, just two people enjoying each other’s presence through a screen.
Still, he couldn’t ignore the curiosity growing inside him. The more he liked her energy, the more he wanted to see her and put a face to the person that made him smile.
Thatloverboy
\[I understand what you mean but you're only thinking in the negative. Have you considered the positive side? What if meeting makes things even better?\] he replied gently. \[What if meeting just confirms that what we have is real?\]
The typing dots appeared again, then vanished, then appeared once more. It was obvious she was conflicted.
Justagirl
\[I just don’t want to rush it,\] she finally wrote. \[Right now, this feels special. Like something fragile but beautiful. I don’t want to risk breaking it too soon.\]
Ryan sighed softly, running a hand over his face. He didn’t want to pressure her, but he also didn’t want to remain in the shadows forever.
Thatloverboy
\[I’m not trying to rush you,\] he typed carefully. \[I just… want to know you fully. Not just through messages.\]
Several seconds passed before she replied again.
Justagirl
\[What if we wait a little longer?\]
He raised a brow slightly.
Thatloverboy
\[How long is ‘a little longer’?\]
There was a brief pause, as if she was calculating in her mind.
Justagirl
{A month,\] she finally suggested. \[Give us one more month. Let’s keep talking like we always do. If after that we still feel the same way… then we meet.\]
Ryan read the message twice. A month felt both short and long at the same time. But he could sense how important this compromise was to her.
He leaned back against the headboard again, letting out a slow breath before typing his reply.
Thatloverboy
\[Alright. One month.\]
Almost immediately, her response came, filled with relief.
Justagirl
\[Thank you for understanding.\]
He smiled softly, before typing back.
Thatloverboy
\[But after that, no more excuses.\]
She sent a laughing emoji.
Justagirl
\[We’ll see.\]
Ryan shook his head, amused.
Thatloverboy
\[No, seriously. After one month, we meet. No hiding, no delaying.\]
There was a short pause before she answered.
Justagirl
\[Okay… after one month, we meet.\]
He felt a strange warmth spread through his chest at her agreement. It wasn’t the immediate answer he had hoped for, but it was a promise. A real one.
They continued chatting for a while longer about random things, their usual playful banter returning as if the serious conversation had never happened. Yet, beneath the light jokes and casual messages, both of them were now very aware of the countdown that had quietly begun.
Exactly one month.
When the conversation finally ended and Ryan placed his phone on the bedside table, he stared up at the ceiling for a long time. His mind was filled with thoughts of the unknown girl who somehow knew him better than most people in his real life.
He didn’t know what she looked like.
He didn’t know her real voice.
He didn’t even know if the reality would match the image he had built in his mind.
But one thing was certain.
In one month’s time, the mystery that had quietly entered his life would finally take a real form. And that thought alone made his heart race with both excitement and fear.