He Looked at My Best Friend First

“Nora, why did the guy you were dating online send me a friend request?” By the time my best friend asked me that question, I had already blocked him.

The first time we met in person, his gaze passed over me and landed on her. He had plainly fallen for her at first sight.

I refused to humiliate myself, so I deleted him and avoided everyone. But after hearing my best friend’s question, my childhood friend gave an unreadable laugh.

That night, he cornered me and wound the end of my hair around his finger, amusement in his voice. “You said you would love me forever. “Little liar.

Do you know the punishment for lying?” Chapter 1 I froze for a moment. When I recovered, I shoved him away. My voice tightened. “I was a foolish child.

I told plenty of people I’d love them forever.” The finger tangled in my hair stopped moving. From the corner of my eye, I saw Logan Whitmore’s jaw clench and his expression darken.

After a long moment, he said evenly, “Is that so?” I shrugged. “What else did you think?” “Do you want to see the things I send my boyfriend—” “No.” Logan slipped his hands into his pockets and straightened.

He lowered his eyes, retreating behind his usual cool detachment as though his momentary loss of control had never happened. “Then I wish you and that online boyfriend of yours…” His lips curved, but his face remained cold. “A steady relationship and lasting love.” Then he turned and left.

I bit my lip hard and said nothing. Even after the door closed, I remained where I was, years of swallowed resentment rising to the surface. How could that relationship last?

Logan did not know that I had broken up with Caleb Morgan the day before. Caleb had been my online boyfriend. But before him, my first love had actually been Logan.

During a senioryear reflection exercise when we were eighteen, the school asked every student to write a private note to the classmate seated beside them.

We could write about schoolwork, uncertainty about growing up, or things we kept hidden because they were too embarrassing to say aloud.

I held my pen for a long time before writing one line. After graduation, I want to ask you a question.

Logan raised a brow after reading it. “What question has to wait until after graduation?” I shook my head. “I can’t tell you yet. It’s a secret.” He laughed and did not press me.

I thought he had forgotten. But on the evening of our last day of high school, I rolled my suitcase through the school gates and found Logan leaning against a car, waiting for me.

He took my suitcase and glanced over casually. “So, Nora, can you tell me now? What did you want to ask?” I froze and tightened my grip on my backpack strap. My heartbeat thundered.

Only after a long silence did I manage to speak, my voice trembling. “Do you like me?” The instant the words left my mouth, laughter erupted behind me. “Holy hell, Logan actually did it!

Nora confessed!” Chapter 2 I did not know why the cruelest group of boys in our class was there.

But their words gave me a terrible suspicion. “What does that mean?” Logan lifted a brow. “It was a bet.

We bet that you would confess to me.” He bent down until his deepset eyes met mine. “Nora, do you know how obvious you are every time you look at me?” Perhaps I was simply unable to accept the truth until it destroyed me.

With everyone laughing, I still asked, “Then how do you feel about me?” Logan tilted his head. “Was I too nice to you?

Why would you think I’d ever be interested in you?” My fingers went rigid. His words were light, innocent, and cruel. The boy straightened and looked down at me one last time.

After that day, I no longer dared to love him. I did not dare approach him either. For a long time, I moved through life in a daze.

I shut myself in my room and played games every day. When teammates turned on their microphones to insult my terrible play, I did not argue. I only tapped the screen mechanically.

That was when I met Caleb. The game matched us at random. He was highly skilled but kept pretending otherwise, calling me “the expert” and asking me to carry him.

I did not want to engage. Yet he kept telling ridiculous jokes over voice chat. As I listened, the room gradually felt less empty. Later, we added each other.

We moved from games to daily life and from daily life to latenight conversations. Then he said, “Nora, let’s meet in person.” But fate seemed determined to play another joke on me.

My online boyfriend fell for my best friend at first sight. On the day we met, I got up early and spent three hours doing a full face of makeup.

Since I was nervous about meeting someone from the internet for the first time, I asked Brielle Hart to come.

Brielle threw on a Tshirt, twisted her hair into a loose bun, and left without makeup. Even so, Caleb blushed when he saw her bare face. I sat through lunch on edge.

I did not know whether Caleb was doing it deliberately, but he was no longer as talkative as he had been online. His voice was flat.

Halfway through the meal, he said, “I might not be able to go to the aquarium this afternoon. My family just called. Something came up unexpectedly.

Can we go another time?” My chopsticks stopped. The truth was that Caleb had not received a call at all. I nodded, unable to stop the bitterness inside me.

I had finally tried to let a man into my life, only to be rejected because of my face. I sighed at the memory and quickly washed up for bed. I thought sleep would come easily.

It did not. It was noisy downstairs. Logan seemed to be hosting a party, and his bedroom was next to mine. Bass thudded through the wall.

The clink of glasses mixed with bursts of laughter, and someone shouted for Logan to play another round. After tossing and turning, I could no longer bear it. I knocked on his door.

It took Logan a long time to open the door.

His dark gaze settled on me. “What?” Before I could answer, Logan sighed. “You have a boyfriend, yet you come knocking on my door at night dressed like that.” He narrowed his eyes slightly, a faint smile on his lips.

Chapter 3 Mockery threaded his voice. “Do you still like me that much?” I stared. “What?” Logan said nothing.

I followed his gaze and realized that in my rush out of bed, I had left several buttons of my pajamas undone. A patch of skin showed beneath my collarbone. My mind went blank.

I grabbed at the neckline, but my trembling fingers kept slipping off the buttons. I could not fasten them.

Flustered, I tried to explain. “I wasn’t—” Logan leaned against the doorframe and watched without hurrying me, the corner of his mouth tilted as though he were observing a clumsy performance. “You weren’t what?” he asked softly. “You didn’t do it deliberately?

Or you don’t like me?” I nodded, my eyes stinging. “I only came to ask whether you could keep the noise down.

I don’t sleep well, and the noise has kept me awake.” “All right,” Logan said. “I understand.” I blinked. Since when was he this agreeable?

Then he leaned closer, abruptly shrinking the space between us. I smelled mint on him beneath the faint scent of alcohol.

I instinctively stepped back. “Nora.” His voice dropped. “I’d really like to take a picture of how you looked just now and send it to that online boyfriend of yours.” I bit my lower lip. “You’re disgusting.” “I did like you once,” I continued after a pause. “But now you only make me think my judgment must have been unbelievably bad.” Logan went still.

His smile vanished. I turned and ran back to my room. After locking the door, I fell onto the bed, buried my head in the pillow, and finally began to cry.

I found my phone and called my mother. “Mom…” My voice was already hoarse. “I don’t want to stay at Logan’s house anymore. How much longer until you can rent a place?

When can I leave?” There was a moment of silence before she answered, exhaustion in her voice. “Hold on a little longer, all right?

Your father’s debt still isn’t paid off, and my paycheck hasn’t come in. Logan’s parents have been so kind to let you stay for a year. “Just make it to next month.

I promise I’ll come get you next month.” I covered my mouth, afraid she would hear me cry. After a long while, I managed a muffled agreement.

At some point, the noise from Logan’s room stopped. His friends drove away, and the world grew quiet. Only my breathing remained.

The next morning, I went downstairs with my eyes swollen almost shut. Logan was already eating breakfast. He looked at me, his gaze pausing on my eyes, but said nothing.

I sat opposite him and took a bite of my sandwich. He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry about last night.” I stared at him.

His voice was hoarse and slightly awkward. “I just thought it was unfair that I’m single while someone younger than me is already dating.” How childish.

I ignored him and kept eating.

Then my phone chimed. [Nora, why did you delete me?] Chapter 4 [I don’t accept this breakup.] Caleb’s messages appeared one after another, making the phone vibrate in my palm. [Nora, why did you delete me?] [I don’t accept this breakup.] [What made you angry?

Did you misunderstand something?] “You can’t even eat without staring at your phone.” Across the table came a sharp tap as Logan set his chopsticks against his bowl.

He looked irritated.

His eyes moved to my screen, then away. “I wonder how many messages are so important that you can never finish answering them.” Without looking up, I added Caleb’s phone number to my blocked list as well.

I had no idea how I had upset Logan this time. He abandoned his meal, dropped his chopsticks, and left the table.

I had no classes that weekend, so I took a parttime job at a coffee shop near campus. After packing an order, I felt my phone vibrate in my pocket.

It was a message from Brielle. [Nora, I need to tell you something…] [I went to a debate tournament at the neighboring university today and ran into Caleb.] [He asked why you deleted him.

What happened between you two? Did you fight?] Weariness washed over me. Before I could answer, she sent a screenshot. I opened it and froze. The timestamp was from the day before.

In their conversation, Brielle and Caleb were discussing whether to invite me to see a newly released horror movie with them. By that time, I had already deleted Caleb.

He had been so absorbed in chatting with Brielle that he had not even noticed. I placed the phone facedown on the counter, my hand trembling.

A coworker asked, “Nora, are you okay?” I shook my head, forced a bitter smile, and started making the next coffee. I dragged myself home exhausted.

As I was about to shower, my phone lit up. This time, it was my mother. [Nora, I found us an apartment!] [It’s a small twobedroom in an older complex.

The rent is cheap, but it’s clean.] [I sent you the address. Pack your things. I’ll take tomorrow off and come get you.] I stared at the message, then sprang from the couch.

Logan and Caleb vanished from my mind. I grinned at the screen, then remembered Logan was next door and quickly covered my mouth, my shoulders shaking with suppressed laughter.

I was finally moving out. At lunch, I hummed as I served myself soup.

Logan sat opposite me and noticed at once. “What’s got you so happy?” I turned away. “I’m not telling you.” He lifted a brow, gave a small huff, and asked nothing more.

His gaze lingered on my face for a second as though he wanted to speak, but he lowered his head and picked up more food instead. That afternoon, Logan received a call and went out.

He said a friend was hosting something and he would not be back for dinner. I nodded. “Okay.” “Don’t miss me too much.” He reached to pat my head, but I dodged him.

His expression stiffened. I did not care. I ran to my room and pulled out my suitcase. By the time I packed everything, evening had nearly arrived.

I should leave him something before I went. After thinking for a long time, I baked a tray of cookies. Logan loved sweets.

Whenever I baked, he always stole two from the tray, then insisted they were barely edible. The cookies had just come out of the oven when Logan returned.

He changed his shoes, entered the living room, and immediately saw me tying a ribbon around a gift bag. “Is that for me?” Chapter 5 Surprise colored his voice.

The corner of his mouth lifted before he forced it down. “The little liar finally grew a conscience.” I handed him the bag, my voice flat. “Thank you for letting me stay here