THE BOYFRIEND SHE DM'D WAS ME

[Don't give her your boyfriend's Instagram!

She'll be in bed with him before you know it!] The floating comments appeared as my roommate smiled and asked for my boyfriend's contact info.

She said she wanted to pay him back for the sheets, which had cost over a hundred and fifty dollars.

Just minutes earlier, she'd balled those sheets up and thrown them in my face because I'd stained them. I didn't call her out.

I just changed the name and profile picture on my spare account to match my boyfriend's and sent her the account instead. Chapter 1 Nicole Lane added me but didn't send any money.

Instead, she sent a playful message. [Nice taste, handsome. Thanks for the sheets.] [Don't worry. I'll take care of Taylor Carter from now on!] I didn't reply.

She got impatient and posted a sexy picture to her Story, with a tantalizing glimpse of cleavage. I stared, then gave my own breasts a couple of squeezes.

I couldn't help thinking how much stress a good, hard squeeze of something that big would relieve. The picture didn't show up on my main account.

Apparently, she'd made it visible only to “Taylor Beckett.” Even I liked it. Taylor probably liked bigger breasts too.

Biting my lip, I found myself searching for “how to make breasts bigger.” The comments erupted when they saw my search. [Oh no.

Our girl is getting insecure.] [Bigger breasts, my ass! What good are those? Our girl is so boycrazy!] I lowered my eyes. The comments had it wrong.

I wasn't trying to make mine bigger. I wanted to make Taylor's bigger.

During the most stressful part of my senior year of high school, I used to bite my arms to relieve the pressure.

In cold weather, the bitten skin swelled into chilblains that itched and hurt. If I could squeeze Taylor's chest to relieve stress instead… I grinned like an idiot.

At dinner that night, I kept staring at his chest. With his shirt on, I couldn't tell how big it was. His gaze darkened under my scrutiny.

He picked up his tray and moved from across the table to the seat beside me. “My baby's growing up,” he said suggestively. “What's on your mind?

Tell your big brother.” “I was wondering why you don't work out.” His voice went husky. “Don't like my body anymore?” Taylor was about six foot one, with broad shoulders and long legs.

Years of swimming had given his shoulders, back, and arms beautiful definition. The only problem was that his chest was too small. The comments understood me.

They could tell what I was thinking just from the look in my eyes. [Oh, our girl isn't trying to please a man.

She wants a male mommy!] My eyes lit up. “Taylor, I want you to be a male mommy.” He froze, then his expression turned serious. “Who taught you that?

Has someone been trying to seduce you?” The comments were smug. [Us, obviously!] Chapter 2 [Doesn't it seem like our girl can see what we're saying?] Thinking of the picture in Nicole's Story, I nodded. “Someone posted a picture in a Story.

They're really big. I want to squeeze them.

I don't know if you can get yours that big.” Taylor grabbed my hand and pressed it firmly against his chest. “I can!” he said through clenched teeth. “I'm going to the gym tonight.

From now on, mine are the only ones you get to squeeze.” My phone chimed. Nicole had sent a problem to my spare account.

I had deceived her, after all, so I sent her a detailed solution. Her reply came right away. [You're amazing!] [Do you explain problems to Taylor Carter all the time?

Which of us do you think is smarter?] I thought of how clueless Taylor looked whenever he chewed on the end of his pen, and replied. [You are.] Taylor had had enough.

He covered my eyes so I couldn't keep looking at my phone. “We're eating. What are you doing? Taylor, you've been acting weird since we started college.

Are you seeing someone behind my back?” I showed him the name on the conversation. “My roommate.

Nicole.” His mock glare softened, and he stroked my hair. “You've made a good friend already? That's a relief.” I knew what he was worried about.

He was afraid I wouldn't adjust to life in a big, modern city or be able to keep up with what my classmates talked about. I came from a remote mountain area.

At home, we even had to ration menstrual pads. I could only do what Mom had taught me: line a pad with toilet paper and change the paper.

I hadn't expected to get blood on Nicole's bed on the very first day. Looking at the relief on Taylor's face, I smiled and nodded. “Yep!

Don't worry about me!” Back in our dorm room, I found all my clothes pulled out of my woven plastic sack. The outfit I treasured most was in the trash.

One of my roommates noticed my expression and explained, “Taylor, don't get the wrong idea.

The room smelled like a toilet, so we went through your bag to find out where it was coming from. It wasn't just yours.

We went through everyone's stuff.” Nicole scowled. “You're actually upset? Who brings a cleaner's work clothes to college? The toilet stink is practically soaked into them!

We threw them out for you, and you're not even grateful!” Silently, I bent down and retrieved the work clothes from the trash. I could barely hold back my tears.

The comments rose to my defense. [That girl is horrible!

Our girl's mom wore those clothes to work for years!] [She brought them because she misses her mom!] I hugged Mom's clothes to my chest and took a deep breath.

All I could smell was Mom's familiar scent. [She should slap that girl across the face! Who does she think she is?] [She can't. The other roommates have ganged up on her.

She could slap one of them, but all three?] I thought for a moment, then opened my spare account and posted a Story: a photo of Taylor carrying my woven plastic sack on movein day.

When I refreshed, Nicole had already replied. [Even carrying Taylor Carter's woven plastic sack, you look hot!] I wrote back nastily. [What are you talking about?

That's my new Balenciaga bag.] [I'm just lending it to Taylor Carter for a few days.] Nicole shot upright in bed and started taking pictures of my sack. “What are you doing?” the other roommates asked.

She looked pleased with herself. “Wait. You don't all think this is just some ordinary plastic sack, do you?” Chapter 3 “It's the new Balenciaga bag!” “Are you nuts?

It's Taylor Carter's.” Nicole rolled her eyes. “What do you know? Her boyfriend's rich!” The others climbed out of bed to take a look. “So this is Balenciaga!

Nicole, you're amazing. You recognized it just like that.” She smiled modestly. “It's nothing.

If you saw more of this stuff, you'd recognize it at a glance too.” Then she carefully set my sack on the table. “Taylor Carter, what a waste of a good bag!” My gloom vanished.

I could barely hold in my laughter, and the comments were struggling right along with me. In high spirits, I joined in the flattery. “You're right, Nicole. You're so impressive!

I'd never even heard of Balenciaga.” She apparently hadn't expected a compliment from someone as quiet as me. For once, something decent came out of her mouth. “It's okay.

You got in here from way out in the mountains.

Being in the same dorm room as us is already pretty impressive.” Even late that night, I couldn't stop grinning at the thought of Nicole treating my plastic sack like a priceless treasure.

I sent Taylor a message. [I love you so, so much.] When I'd first gotten my acceptance letter, I'd been scared. I'd never been anywhere beyond the mountains.

Mom told me the son of the man who'd been supporting me had gotten into the same university. He wanted to visit me, and she asked if I wanted to meet him.

I'd gathered my courage and nodded. Taylor was sunny and outgoing, curious about everything in the mountains—including me, a girl who'd grown up there.

He thought even my stupid, insecure questions were cute. “Taylor, do you think I can use this sack for my luggage?

Mom picked out the cleanest one for me!” He hadn't looked down on me or sneered about how nobody used woven plastic sacks anymore.

Instead, he'd taken one look, slapped his leg, and burst out laughing. “Taylor, this is incredible! Your sack looks exactly like a Balenciaga bag!

Let me carry it when we start school.” I didn't know what Balenciaga was, but I laughed with him. My phone kept vibrating against my stomach.

When I opened it, a string of messages from Taylor popped up. [I love you too.] … [Taylor Carter, explain yourself.

Why are you suddenly telling me you love me in the middle of the night?] [Are you in your dorm?] [Who are you talking to instead of answering me?] The last one had arrived two minutes earlier. [Taylor Carter, even if you're cheating on me, it has to stop once I've built up my pecs.] I didn't understand what had gotten into him.

The comments were laughing their heads off. [They say if your partner sends you a midnight declaration of love, they've just finished cheating.

Our male lead clearly believes it.] [In the half hour she hasn't replied, he's already convinced himself he can live with her having several younger guys on the side.] [He's such a good boyfriend.

How did he end up in bed with that other girl?] My smile froze. [The other girl has added our girl's spare account now.

Maybe she and the boyfriend won't end up in bed together.] [Please.

Our girl can stop it once, but can she stop it forever?] [All it takes is one moment when she isn't watching, and they'll be in bed together.

What will she do then?] Just then, Nicole sent “Taylor Beckett” a message. [What do you like about Taylor Carter?] I answered with a question. [What do you think?] Her reply came quickly. [Do you even have to ask?

Obviously, you've never met a girl like her before.] [You think she's innocent and downtoearth.] Chapter 4 [But once the novelty wears off, you'll realize she doesn't live in the same world we do.] [Seriously, coming from similar backgrounds and social circles matters.] I held my phone and stared at the ceiling, thinking of how Taylor's eyes shone when he looked at me.

Losing that look would hurt terribly. More than the chilblains on my hands that kept coming back after they'd healed.

I replied to Nicole. [You're absolutely right.] The comments sighed. [Is our girl giving up on him?] [Did we make things worse by trying to help?

He hasn't actually cheated yet.] [He's going to! Why keep him around?

Good for her!] Having made up my mind, I messaged Taylor. [We shouldn't see each other for a while.] Taylor rushed straight to my dorm building.

He stood outside, his eyes red as he watched me approach. With every step I took, his eyes grew redder.

When I was three steps away, he strode forward and pulled me into a hug so tight it felt as if he might crush my bones. “I was willing to accept him.

Do you really have to break up with me? I've been working so hard at the gym, dutifully drinking my protein shakes and eating lettuce mixed with eggs. Feel them.

Aren't they a little bigger?” He rested his forehead against mine and looked at me. “Are mine bigger, or his?” he asked hoarsely. “Hmm?” His were a little bigger than before, but I could only tell the truth. “Hers.” [Even I feel sorry for him!

He's been working out for her, and he doesn't even know the other girl yet!] [They'll meet sooner or later.] [Can't she enjoy the relationship until then?

Does she have to break up with him now?] It finally dawned on me that they'd all misunderstood my message to Taylor.

But my face was squashed against his pecs, so all I could manage was a muffled, “I'm not breaking up with you!” He finally loosened his hold a little. “What did you say