20

The house was still quiet — just a little past 10:00 a.m. now.Chris had made pancakes, Colby was sitting upside down on the couch for no reason, Nick was deep in comment-section espionage, and Matt had taken it upon himself to become Sam's life coach.

Sam?Sam was pacing.Phone in hand. Not even pretending to eat. His thumb hovering over the message icon on Melinda's profile.

⸻

Chris: watching him like a zoo exhibit "He's doing it again."

Colby: smirking upside down "The loop."

Nick: "Refresh her profile. Rewatch the tattoo video. Check the comments. Refresh again. Stare at her message button. Don't click it. Repeat."

Matt: "Dude. Just text her."

Sam: snaps "And say what?!"

Chris: "I don't know. Maybe: 'Hey, I just reposted your spine. What's up?'"

Colby: laughing "Not weird at all."

⸻

Sam sits down, hard. Runs a hand through his hair.He opens her profile again.

Still following.Still no follow-back — not that it matters.That wasn't why he reposted it.

But then—She posts.

A new video.No music again.Just her voice.

⸻

[Melinda's TikTok – 9 seconds long. Just her, wrapped in a blanket, holding her phone.]

Melinda (soft laugh):"Woke up to something... that made my heart stutter. You know who you are."

Wink. End.

⸻

Nick: "SHE KNOWS."

Chris: "Oh she knows knows."

Colby: grinning like a man possessed "She just winked at you on purpose."

Matt: deadpan "So. Now will you text her?"

⸻

Sam doesn't answer. He just opens her messages.

Cursor blinking.Heartbeat hammering.He types:

"Hey, it's Sam.I saw the video.The one with the tattoos.It meant more than I can say."

Then he stops.Deletes the whole thing.Starts again:

"Hey.Just wanted to say I really respect what you shared.You made me feel... seen. And safe.Thank you."

He stares.Rewrites it a third time.

"You got all three of my tattoos on your body.That's not nothing.I see you."

⸻

Colby (peeking): "That's the one. Send it."

Matt: "Sam. Send it."

Nick: "Dude. You literally got her spine trending. It's only fair you say something."

Chris: "Honestly at this point, if you don't text her, I'm gonna pretend to be you and do it myself."

⸻

Sam finally inhales deep, taps 'Send', and throws his phone across the couch.

Sam: panicked "IT'S OUT. IT'S SENT. OH MY GOD—"

Everyone else screams.

Nick: "WE ARE IN."

Matt: "LET'S GOOOO."

Chris: "This is the best plotline we've ever been part of."

Colby: grinning into his sleeve "Hope she texts back."

⸻

And across the world, Melinda's phone buzzes once.She sees the name.She covers her mouth with both hands.And smiles like the world just tilted on its axis.