Time passed, and Dalton and Vanessa's bond grew deeper. Each day, they shared more laughs, more inside jokes, more moments that felt like they were building something real. He couldn't quite pinpoint when it happened, but at some point, Dalton realized he was falling for her. The ease with which they texted, the comfortable silence during their walks after class, and the way her eyes sparkled whenever she talked about her drawings—it all added up to something that made his heart race.
One evening, as Dalton scrolled through Vanessa's Instagram page, he took a deeper look at her photos. He hadn't paid much attention before, but now, something gnawed at him. Among the anime sketches and selfies, he noticed multiple photos of the same guy—a guy who appeared more and more frequently the further he scrolled.
The guy was always there, in the background of her life, sometimes leaving affectionate comments, other times simply being present. Dalton's heart sank. Her boyfriend.
It wasn't just one photo. It was many. There was never really a chance, was there? He had been so focused on their growing connection that he hadn't even realized someone else was already in the picture.
Later that night, Dalton decided to send Vanessa a message, trying to act casual.
Dalton: Hey, just saw some of your older posts. Who's that guy?
A few minutes passed before he got a reply—but it wasn't from Vanessa.
Boyfriend: You must be Dalton. I've heard about you. Just wondering why you're texting my girl so much?
Dalton's heart pounded. Her boyfriend had access to her account? He felt a rush of guilt and confusion. Was he crossing a line? What was he doing, getting so close to someone who was already taken?
***
The next day, Vanessa approached him before class.
She smiled at him, but it didn't reach her eyes. "Hey, um... sorry about last night." she said softly. "My boyfriend—he has access to my account. He saw your message and kinda freaked out."
Dalton forced a smile, though the tightness in his chest remained. "It's fine. I didn't know."
Vanessa glanced down, fidgeting with the strap of her bag. "He's... kind of controlling sometimes. I didn't really think much of it before, but lately, he's been checking my phone more."
Dalton felt a surge of frustration on her behalf but didn't show it. Instead, he made a joke, hoping to lighten the mood. "Well, that's kind of intense. You sure you didn't accidentally sign up for surveillance services?"
Vanessa laughed, but it was a little strained. "I guess I didn't think about it like that."
Dalton made another joke, something about needing a security clearance just to talk to her. But this time, something in Vanessa's expression shifted. She looked thoughtful, almost as if she was starting to see things differently. His jokes, meant to be lighthearted, seemed to bring something to light for her. She didn't say anything more, but Dalton could tell his words had struck a chord.
From that moment on, Dalton felt a subtle shift. Vanessa started opening up more about her relationship, hinting at issues she hadn't mentioned before. It wasn't all roses. The more she talked, the more Dalton realized how much her boyfriend's controlling behavior affected her. And though she didn't say it outright, Dalton could tell she was beginning to question things.
But despite their growing closeness, Dalton put some distance between them. She had a boyfriend, after all. No matter what was happening between them, there was still someone else in the picture. It was easier to pull back than to deal with the confusion.
***
At home, the tension reached a breaking point.
His parents' arguments were getting worse. The house was constantly filled with angry shouting, the kind that rattled his nerves and made him retreat further into himself. Then, one night, everything came crashing down.
Dalton's mother called the police on his father.
The yelling had escalated beyond anything Dalton had ever heard before, and soon the red-and-blue lights of the police flashed outside their house. His father was forced to leave, bags in hand, while his mother filed a restraining order against him.
Dalton watched it all from the stairwell, feeling numb. His father was gone.
As the days went on, Dalton's mental health began to deteriorate.
He felt disconnected from everything—his friends, his family, and even Vanessa. The more he withdrew from her, the more he convinced himself that it was the right thing to do. She had a boyfriend, even if things were falling apart for her too. There was no point in getting closer.
But a part of him still cared. It gnawed at him, pulling him in different directions.
One afternoon, everything changed.
Vanessa walked into class with her usual bright smile, but Dalton noticed something was different. She wasn't texting as much, and her demeanor seemed a little more subdued. After class, she pulled Dalton aside, her eyes flicking down to her phone as she took a deep breath.
"I broke up with him." she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Dalton's heart skipped a beat. "Your boyfriend?"
Vanessa nodded, looking down at her feet. "Yeah... It just wasn't working out anymore."
Dalton didn't know what to say. He felt a strange mix of relief and guilt, like maybe it was somehow his fault. Had he pushed her into this? Did their growing connection make her reconsider her relationship? The questions buzzed in his head, but he stayed quiet, nodding along as she explained.
***
After the breakup, Vanessa seemed more eager to spend time with him. She laughed more, texted him more, and sought him out during class. But instead of feeling closer, Dalton felt a growing sense of unease. What if he hurt her, too? What if he was just a rebound, a temporary distraction?
These thoughts consumed him until one day, during a lighthearted moment, Vanessa playfully grabbed his notebook and doodled all over the front page.
"Hey!" Dalton said, his voice harsher than he meant it to be. He grabbed the notebook back, glaring at the scribbles she had made. His mood darkened in an instant, irrational anger flaring up.
Vanessa blinked, taken aback. "I was just messing around, Dalton... I didn't mean—"
But Dalton wasn't listening. He stood up abruptly, stuffing his things into his bag. "Whatever." he muttered, ignoring the hurt look on her face as he stormed out of the classroom.
Later, as the bell rang and Dalton was leaving, he noticed Vanessa coming back into the classroom.
Her eyes were red and puffy, and she was clutching her notebook tightly to her chest. It hit him then—he had hurt her. He hadn't meant to, but he had.
Guilt washed over him as he watched her silently slip into her seat, avoiding his gaze. What had he done?