The afternoon sun slanted through the thin curtains of the small dorm room, bathing everything in a soft, sleepy glow. Lorelei lay curled beneath her blanket, drifting between dreams and the quiet hum of campus life beyond her window. Her phone buzzed suddenly, vibrating against the wooden nightstand. Half-asleep, she reached for it and squinted at the screen.
Matt.
Her heart skipped. She sat up, brushing her hair from her face before answering.
"Hey," came his deep, husky voice — familiar and warm, yet strangely distant.
"Hey," she murmured, still heavy with sleep.
"How have you been?" he asked.
"Missing you," she said softly, a small smile forming.
"That's nice," he replied flatly. There was a pause.
"So... I've been home, dealing with some problems," he continued, his tone uneven. "And I've had time to think."
Lorelei frowned. "Would you like some company tonight?"
"No, Lorelei." His voice hardened. "It's over."
The words hit her like a slap.
"Wait—what? Why?"
"I can't do this anymore," he said plainly. "It's over."
Silence stretched between them — a painful, hollow silence filled only by the sound of her unsteady breathing.
"Fine," she whispered, then ended the call.
For a moment she sat frozen, staring at the dim screen, her mind blank. Then the tears came — hot, sudden, unstoppable. Her sobs filled the room.
Amelia, her roommate, rushed over from the study desk. "Lorelei! What's wrong?"
"Matt... he just broke up with me," Lorelei choked out before collapsing into fresh tears.
Amelia pulled her close. "Oh, Lorelei... don't cry." She wiped at her friend's tears with trembling fingers, but they kept falling.
After a moment, Amelia picked up her phone and dialed a number. "Hey, Brat?" she said urgently.
"Hey, what's up?" came a male voice on the other end.
"Matt just broke up with Lorelei."
There was a brief pause. "Do you want me to come over?"
"Yes, please."
It didn't take long before there was a knock on the door. Brat stepped in, his face clouded with concern. When he saw Lorelei's tear-streaked face, he crossed the room without hesitation and pulled her into a gentle hug.
"Hey," he said softly. "Tell me what happened."
"I was just having a nap," she sniffed, "and then he called... and said it's over."
"Oh, that's bad," he murmured. "I'm sorry, Lorelei."
"Where did I go wrong?" she whispered, looking up at him through teary eyes.
He hesitated, rubbing the back of his neck. "Well... honestly, I kinda saw this coming. But not this soon."
"I was loyal to him," she said bitterly. "And this is what I get in return?"
Brat sighed. "I know. I'm really sorry."
"It's not your fault," she muttered. "It's your dumb-ass friend's."
That earned a quiet laugh from him. "Yeah... he can be an ass sometimes."
"I see that now," she said, wiping her cheeks.
He looked at her for a moment, then smiled gently. "Hey, do you want to go out for some fresh air?"
"Sure," she said softly.
Together, they left the dorm and walked down the quiet path leading off campus. The sun was dipping low now, painting the sky with streaks of orange and pink. They made their way to her favorite spot — Serene Escape, a hidden corner near the lake surrounded by whispering trees and wildflowers.
Lorelei stood by the water's edge, feeling the cool breeze brush against her skin. Her tears had stopped, but her heart still ached — a deep, unfamiliar ache that no comfort could reach.
She looked at the fading horizon and whispered to herself, Never again.
In that moment, Lorelei swore she would never fall in love again — no matter what.