My Online Ex Fell for Me at First Sight

The guy who dumped me stopped me on a street corner, ears red, and asked, "Can I get your number?" He didn't know me.

He had no idea that the person who'd dumped me three months ago, in one text, was him. I'm 5'2". I fell for a 6'1" trustfund kid online.

The day we were finally supposed to meet, I lost my nerve. My 5'6" roommate went instead. She never told me. That night, Aiden broke up with me.

Not long after, he added her as an authorized user on his credit card, and the designer gifts came until she ran out of room for them.

Three months later, I ran into the two of them downtown. I took the long way around. He caught me at the corner anyway. Something flickered across his face.

His ears went red. "Can I get your number?" Chapter 1 Aiden was standing close enough to touch, and my head went blank. He was taller than his photos. Better looking, too.

Three months ago he was mine. Now he was Kendall's. Kendall is 5'6". She calls it the golden height, the one every guy wants. I'm small.

She made a hobby out of it. "Oh my God, Nora, you look like a gradeschooler in that cartoon nightshirt." "Why are you so short?

My niece is twelve and she's already 5'6"." "You're twenty and you're 5'2". Do you shop in the kids' section at Target?" "I saw a Delta posting today.

Flight attendants have to reach the 6'8" overhead bin on their toes." "Nora, you're never going to be a flight attendant, are you?" "Ugh, I gained two pounds.

Whatever, I'll skip a couple meals. Not like you. Height's the one thing you can't fix." Here's the thing. 5'2" is only a little under average for a girl in this country.

My proportions are good. People tell me I'm pretty. I used to be fine with myself. Then you live with a mouth like that, getting measured against her ruler every single day.

It got to me. Say a thing enough times and it starts sounding like a fact. Sometimes I fired back. Once I looked up at her and said, "5'6" isn't rare in New York.

If that's your best card, you're not holding much." She blinked. Then she laughed louder. And the next day she always found a new one.

The night before we were finally supposed to meet, I tried on dresses in front of the mirror.

Kendall watched from the top bunk and snorted. "That thing goes down to your ankles." "Short girls shouldn't wear maxi dresses.

You're not auditioning for the Seven Dwarfs." "Short girls need better taste. All that long hair drags you down. Cut it. You'll look taller." "Nora, serious question.

When you wipe your boyfriend's forehead, do you bring a ladder?" "Oh my God, I can't. I can't breathe. That's too funny." I cried under my blanket for a long time that night.

By the next afternoon my eyes were still puffy. Aiden was waiting at the coffee shop off campus. I did my makeup. I had the nerve worked up and everything.

While I was changing, Kendall spoke without looking up. "Why'd you pick the afternoon?" "You're shorter in the afternoon than in the morning.

You've probably lost another half inch just standing there." "Also, that outfit does nothing for you, and makeup won't hide that you've been crying." "He's going to take one look at you and be disappointed." "I'm only telling you this for your own good.

Just don't go." Whatever nerve I had went right out of me. And so did every part of me that wanted to see him. Me: [Not feeling great today.

Can we do it another time?] Him: [Not feeling great? Did you take anything?] Me: [It's fine. I'll sleep it off.] Him: [Okay. Get some rest.] Him: [I bought you a necklace.

I was going to give it to you today. Next time, then.] Chapter 2 I stayed in all day. Kendall did her hair, did her face, and went out looking incredible.

When she came back that night, there was a new necklace sitting on her collarbone. She said a guy who was chasing her had given it to her. Aiden's text went through my head.

I bought you a necklace. I didn't chase the thought. Back then I still believed in coincidences. Right before bed, the other text came in. Him: [Nora, we're not a good fit.

Let's stop here.] I thought he was cutting me off because I'd stood him up. Then one afternoon I glanced over and caught Kendall texting him. "Kendall.

When did you and Aiden meet?" She didn't even look up. "That day at the coffee shop." "Love at first sight, for him. I'm still deciding." My stomach dropped.

The fourleafclover necklace sat right there under her chin. "That necklace. He gave it to you?" She practically glowed. "Yep. Something that expensive on the first meeting?

He's obsessed." "Oh, and he said I have a great body." "And that my legs look amazing in a dress." So they'd met. Had she told him how short I was?

Was that why he ended it? "Kendall.

You know that's stealing someone's boyfriend, right?" "You two broke up, didn't you?" She kept talking while she scrolled up and found his voice messages.

Then she hit play, right in front of me. "She barely comes up to my kitchen counter. Dodged that one." "Babe, our height difference is perfect." "What kind of dresses do you like?

I'll Venmo you. Go pick them out." Kendall's mouth curled. "Hear that? He chased me. I didn't take him from you. Get it straight." There was nothing to say to that.

She'd hit play on my own breakup and watched my face the whole time it ran. I'd wanted to fix things with him. After that, I didn't. I blocked his number.

Over the next three months, Kendall locked him down. He added her to his credit card. Designer bags came until she ran out of room for them.

Aiden's a trustfund kid, junior year at the university next door. Back when we were only talking online, he always wanted to send me money.

He kept saying he'd clear out my whole Amazon wish list. I never took a cent. He never touched the list. We hadn't even met yet. Spending his money felt wrong. And I didn't need it.

Kendall didn't have that problem. She burned through his money, took every gift, and kept asking for more in that voice.

Every time I heard her do it from across the room, it was like swallowing a bug. Today I went out, and there the two of them were. I was going to walk around them.

He caught me at the corner instead. And asked for my number. It was almost funny. He'd ended it in one line. He'd moved on before it even cooled. Now he wanted my number. For what?

He still doesn't know, does he. That I'm the girl he was talking to online. She barely comes up to my kitchen counter.

That one still goes in under the ribs. "Sorry," I said. "I don't give my number to strangers. Especially strangers with girlfriends." That landed. He didn't move.

He stepped closer instead, until his shadow covered all of me. Chapter 3 Aiden looked far too interested. "How do you know I have a girlfriend?

So you noticed me back there?" "Why did you try to get away from us?" "Do you know me, or do you know Kendall?" I didn't want anything more to do with either of them. "I don't," I said.

I turned to go. His hand closed around my wrist. "Wait." He stared at my face. His eyes went to the teardrop mole at the corner of my eye. "That mole.

I know that mole from somewhere. What's your name?" I'd sent him a closeup of it once. He knew there was a teardrop mole at the corner of my left eye.

In that photo, my eyes were shut. Had he just recognized me? I pulled my hand free. "I already told you I don't know you.

This is rude." He kept staring like he hadn't heard a word of it. His eyes stayed nailed to my face.

Then Kendall came up the sidewalk with shopping bags hanging off both arms. "Aiden, you walk so fast. You couldn't wait for me?" She saw me. Her smile froze.

He turned to her, and there was something hopeful in it. "Kendall, do you know her?" Something moved behind her eyes. She shook her head. "No.

Never seen her before." "Oh." He sounded like someone had let the air out of him. "Sorry. I thought you were somebody else.

You can go." I gave Kendall one long look and walked off fast. I got back to the dorm. She came through the door right behind me. She dumped her haul on the desk. "Nora.

Don't you owe me an explanation?" "What kind of explanation do you want?" "You met my boyfriend behind my back.

That doesn't need explaining?" "What, you're trying to steal him?" "I went around the block to avoid him," I said. "He followed me." "Not everybody's like you, Kendall.

Some of us don't take other people's things." She swallowed it down. "Fine. I read too much into it." Then her eyes moved.

Up, then down, all the way. "He already thought you were too short. You can throw yourself at him and it won't matter." "Just find someone under 5'9" and be happy.

Anything over 5'11" is never happening for you." She pulled everything out of the bags and tried it on, piece by piece, admiring her own long lines in the mirror.

I showered until the water went cold. Then I got in bed, pulled my curtain shut, and scrolled. A post came up.

Anonymous, on Reddit. [Fell for a total stranger today.] [Her height is nowhere near what I wanted.] [But that face.

I couldn't look away.] [She looked right at me and everything in me stalled out.] [I saw her and my feet stopped working.] [Even angry, she's adorable.] [Makes a guy want to stand in front of her.] I tapped the OP's profile picture.

Same photo Aiden used. Same shot from behind. Love at first sight. With me? He'd gone back into the post and added a line. [Also, I'm 6'1".

Any guys 6'1" and up ever date someone around 5'2"? How did it go?

Real experiences only.] Top comment: [I'm 6'2", girlfriend is 5'1", 13 inches apart, works great.] I stared at those two words, around 5'2", until my fingertips went cold.

Three months ago he ended it in one text. We're not a good fit. Three months later he was asking the whole internet how to love a 5'2" girl.

And he still has no idea that the 5'2" girl is me. Chapter 4 The comments were packed. Couples posting their heightgap photos, hundreds of them.

Kendall finished with her dresses and sat down at her desk with her phone. I pulled my curtain back just in time to watch her find the post. Her face went cold while she read.

Then she called him. "Aiden. Did you post something? What is that supposed to mean?" He went quiet for two beats. "What post?" Her voice went thin at the edges.

She took the phone into the bathroom and dropped to a whisper. "That profile picture is obviously you.

You fell in love at first sight with some girl today?" He played dumb. "Plenty of people use the same picture. I have no idea what you're talking about. What girl