Esin squinted at her phone screen, rolling onto her back on the bed, one leg dangling off the edge as she read through her messages with Yusuf. Her best friend Ulaş had already warned her that dating someone online could be complicated, especially when you hadn’t even met the person. But she thought Yusuf was different. They'd been talking for weeks now, and the conversations were... well, they were something. They made her heart race.
She typed out a quick reply to his latest message, something light and casual, pretending she hadn’t spent the last five minutes carefully choosing each word.
“See you on Discord tonight?”
She put her phone aside, hoping he’d reply soon. Right then, her phone lit up with a message—from Ulaş.
> "Want to meet for coffee? I’m heading to that cafe near the library."
Esin sighed, half-relieved and half-annoyed. Ulaş, her rock, always seemed to know when she needed a distraction. And lately, he was around more than ever. She couldn’t quite tell if he was worried about her or just overprotective.
---
The cafe was buzzing with students studying, couples sharing headphones, and groups of friends laughing around their tables. Ulaş waved her over, his face breaking into a grin when he saw her.
"How’s the virtual romance?” he asked, a teasing glint in his eye as she sat down.
Esin rolled her eyes, brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. “It’s fine. I mean, he’s nice, and we get along.”
Ulaş leaned forward, his eyebrows raised. “You’ve never even seen him in person, though. Doesn’t that bother you?”
“Not everyone has to be like you, Ulaş. Besides, we’re in the 21st century; online dating isn’t that strange,” she said, crossing her arms defensively.
"True, but have you really talked? Like, beyond just… words on a screen?”
She was about to argue when her phone buzzed. Yusuf had replied.
> “Yeah, I’ll be there. Got a few friends on there tonight too. Should be fun.”
The last sentence made her pause. She had been under the impression it would be just the two of them, like every other night. Shrugging it off, she tapped out a quick reply.
“See? Nothing to worry about,” she said, sliding her phone back into her pocket and changing the subject.
But Ulaş looked unconvinced. His fingers drummed on the table, and he shot her that look—the one that said he knew her better than she knew herself.
---
That night, Esin logged onto Discord, nerves twisting her stomach. She knew she shouldn’t feel this way—she hadn’t even met Yusuf in real life. But her heart couldn’t quite separate what her mind was trying to rationalize.
The moment she joined the voice channel, her headphones buzzed with overlapping voices. A bunch of people were already in the call, including Yusuf. He was laughing about something, and she couldn’t help but smile at the sound.
“Hey, Esin!” he greeted her, sounding genuinely excited to have her there.
“Hey!” she replied, smiling. But then, a softer voice chimed in.
“Oh, is this Esin?” The voice was feminine, light, with a hint of sarcasm that Esin didn’t love.
“Yes, that’s Esin,” Yusuf said, laughing. “Esin, meet Lena.”
“Nice to meet you, Esin!” Lena chirped. She sounded overly friendly, almost forced, like she was marking her territory.
Esin’s stomach dropped. Lena? Who was Lena? And why was Yusuf suddenly talking to her like they’d known each other forever?
Esin forced a smile into her voice. “Nice to meet you too, Lena.”
The conversation shifted to some game they were all playing together, but Esin barely heard any of it. Her mind was racing, piecing together every fragment of Yusuf’s and Lena’s exchanges. The inside jokes, the way Lena seemed to know details about his day… little things Esin thought were hers alone to know.
When Yusuf asked if she was okay, she responded with a quick, “Yeah, just tired.”
But the truth was, she was hurt, and a quiet fury was building up. She tried to act normal, but when she finally left the call, she threw her phone onto her bed, frustrated.
---
The next morning, she vented to Ulaş over coffee again.
“So, who’s this Lena?” Ulaş asked, his voice calm, though his eyes held a hint of annoyance—maybe even jealousy? She brushed the thought away.
“Just some girl in his group. But he acted like they were… like they were together. Like I didn’t matter,” she mumbled, stirring her coffee.
Ulaş sighed, leaning back in his chair. “Look, Esin. Maybe you should talk to him directly. Find out what’s actually going on instead of getting all worked up.”
But Esin’s pride was a stubborn thing. She didn’t want to be the “jealous girlfriend,” especially not over some online guy. But something about it just hurt.
---
Hi guys, this is a new story and if you want to ask like how to read Ulaş it's like Ulash this is a Turkish name so, yeah. 😊
YOU ARE READING
Beyond The Screen
RomanceEsin who currently is happily chatting with his lover online. Will they remain together? Or a new face comes into the story? there's Ulaş who is his best friend, and.. if something happens maybe he will join into her love life. Who knows? Read it to...
