Fray Of Hearts

Chapter 1: Swipe Right

 "Ting."

Sera groaned, the sound of her phone ringing breaking the quiet evening. She glanced at the screen, already dreading the notification. "Not again... that stupid dating app," she muttered under her breath. It was always the same. Messages from men she didn't care about, cheesy pick-up lines, and endless notifications clogging up her phone.

She swiped lazily through the matches, rejecting most with a quick flick of her finger. They all seemed to blend together—faces, names, empty compliments. It was like a game, a boring cycle that she couldn't seem to escape. And yet... her thumb hesitated as she landed on a name that caught her eye. Ronan Vaughn.

There was something about the name that felt different, and when she clicked on his profile, she immediately understood why.

He was... well, damn.

Tall—like, really tall. About 6'2". Broad shoulders that filled out his shirt in a way that was almost too tempting to look at. A jawline that could probably cut glass, and eyes that had an intensity to them, like they could see straight through her. It wasn't the usual "Hey, what's up?" nonsense that filled her inbox.

For the first time in what felt like forever, Sera felt her interest piqued. No, not just piqued—captured. She tapped the screen with a rapid pulse of curiosity and, before she could second-guess herself, she swiped right.

And then she tossed her phone onto the bed, burying her face in her pillow with a frustrated sigh.

What was she even doing?

She wasn't tired of life—not at all. But dating? That was a different story. She was exhausted. Exhausted by the cycle of disappointment, the endless parade of shallow connections, and the unavoidable heartbreak. She had been down that road too many times.

Her last relationship was a blur of bad decisions and nothing less than a bad dream. Kade. That man.

That douchebag.

He'd cheated on her more times than she could count, and every time she forgave him, hoping that maybe this time it would be different. But she wasn't blind anymore. Kade was a liar, a manipulator, and the worst kind of person to waste any more of her energy on.

So, why did she keep coming back to these dating apps? Why was she constantly searching for something that didn't seem to exist?

She stared at the ceiling, letting out a deep breath. There had to be more to life than endless swiping and empty promises, right?

hiee, this is my first ever story. If you enjoyed the story, I'd love to hear your thoughts! Your feedback means a lot to me and helps me improve as a writer. Please take a moment to leave a review—it can be as short as a few words, but your opinion truly makes a difference. Thank you so much for reading and supporting my work! i'll be writing the next part very soonnn byeee lovies.