First message
You were searching Facebook for a guy from last night’s party. He seemed interesting… probably. An hour later, you still hadn’t found him.
Instead, Facebook suggested Andrea Russo from Miami.
She was beautiful. Her profile picture showed a redhead in a man’s arms. His face was hidden, but the black tattoo on his neck…
You froze. Ryan.
You opened Andrea’s profile. More photos. Miami. The same blond man. Older. Calmer.
What happened to you? you whispered. You used to be chaos. My chaos.
Seven years together. Neighbors. Best friends. Berkeley. You loved him but never told him.
Mom has cancer. I can’t leave her, Ryan whispered the night before Italy, holding you until sunrise.
That night, you never told him you loved him. The two of you never crossed the line beyond friendship.
You only took one photo that morning. A photo you still keep to this day.
For two months you exchanged messages and photos. Then the hospital became hospice. His mother died… and Ryan disappeared too.
You searched Andrea’s friends.
Ryan Flynn. An empty profile. No picture. Last online a week ago.
He was back in the States. He never told you.
You spent the night staring at the screen.
At 4 a.m. you finally typed:
Hi, Ryan. Remember me?
Hours later your phone buzzed.
…….
It’d be hard to forget you.