Hearts Across Halls

Chapter 33

The night had started simple enough, just Elara and the girls laughing in the kitchen of the neighbouring dorm. Music pulsed faintly from a speaker in the corner, and empty bottles littered the table where the hosts, clearly already drunk, were passed out or rambling incoherently. Elara took a sip of her drink, feeling the warmth bloom in her chest, letting the excitement of the night wash over her. The whole scene was a comforting, chaotic blur, and for the first time in weeks, she felt herself relax.

"Dylan's missing out," Rachel said, raising an eyebrow as she surveyed the room with a grin.

"Right? I'm starting to think he's been ghosting us," Elara teased, though her tone was light. Dylan had been scarce lately, and they all suspected the reason had something to do with his new boyfriend.

Kenzie giggled. "Oh, he's definitely hiding away with his boyfriend. I bet they're off having cozy, romantic nights while we're stuck in this madhouse."

They all dissolved into laughter, and Rachel added, "Can you blame him, though?".

As the conversation drifted from teasing about Dylan to gossip about the dorm, Elara felt herself loosening up. She was here to enjoy herself, free of any complicated feelings or stress. It was just her and her friends, laughing about life and not taking anything too seriously.

Then someone mentioned Tinder. One thing led to another, and before she knew it, the app was open on Elara's phone, her friends all huddling around with wide grins as they encouraged her to swipe through profiles. She laughed along with them, her fingers hovering over the screen as they rated and critiqued each man's profile.

"Swipe left, he looks like he hasn't smiled in a year," Kenzie said, squinting at one photo of a guy who looked painfully serious.

"Definitely left," Rachel agreed. "And this one? Is he in a bathtub? Pass."

One profile after another, they swiped through a seemingly endless parade of bad angles, odd choices, and overly dramatic bios. When they did find a potential match, they rated him, sending messages full of inside jokes and light-hearted comments. For the ones that were a little less polite, they didn't hold back—Kenzie was quick to respond with biting sarcasm before swiftly un-matching them.

Elara and her friends continued their Tinder adventure well into the night, scrolling through profiles with no real aim other than the fun of it. It was carefree, exactly what Elara needed to forget about Luca and everything tangled up with him.

It was Tabitha who spotted Liam's profile first. She gasped, practically dragging Elara's phone closer to get a better look. The profile showed a man who seemed way out of place on Tinder. He was strikingly attractive, with sharp features, tousled dark hair, and a look that was both rugged and refined. His bio claimed he was a lawyer who modelled occasionally—something the girls were immediately suspicious of.

"Absolutely a catfish," Tabitha said with certainty, laughing as she passed the phone to Kenzie. "A lawyer and a model? Right, sure. And I'm an astronaut on weekends."

Kenzie rolled her eyes, swiping through his photos. "No way he's real. This guy could easily pass for an actual model."

But the more they joked about it, the more intrigued Elara became. Part of her wanted to match with him just to see if he was indeed a catfish—and what he might say. She swiped right, figuring it was all in good fun. To her surprise, it was an immediate match.

"Oh my God, he swiped back!" Rachel laughed, leaning over with wide eyes. "I'd love to see him try to keep up with your messages."

Feeling bold, Elara sent him a playful message: You're not real, right? Lawyer and a model? This feels too good to be true.