Swipe right to Forever

The Match

Lucas POV:

I almost deleted the app three times that week.

It wasn’t really my thing.

I wasn’t built for selling myself in five photos and three sentences.

“Smile more,” my sister had told me when she helped me set it up.

“You look like you hate everyone.”

I didn’t hate everyone.

I just didn’t trust easily.

Most profiles blurred together after a while. Perfect angles. Party photos. Filters.

Then hers appeared.

Isla.

No heavy editing. No dramatic poses. One photo of her laughing — not at the camera, but at something outside the frame.

That caught my attention.

She wasn’t trying too hard.

Her bio was simple:

“Busy. Independent. Don’t waste my time.”

I almost smiled.

She looked like someone who carried responsibility well. The kind of woman who didn’t need saving.

The kind of woman who wouldn’t tolerate nonsense.

I hovered over the screen longer than I expected.

She might be too strong for you.

The thought annoyed me.

I swiped right.

Nothing happened.

I locked my phone and tossed it on the couch.

An hour later, while reheating leftovers, it buzzed.

It’s a match.

I stared at the notification longer than I should have.

My first instinct was not excitement.

It was pressure.

Don’t mess this up.

I opened her profile again. Looked at her smile. Zoomed into her eyes like that would reveal something secret.

She didn’t look like someone who would tolerate games.

So I didn’t send one.

“Hey. I’m glad you swiped right.”

Simple. Honest.

When she replied:

“Hi. I almost didn’t.”

I actually laughed.

I liked that.

She didn’t flirt. She didn’t compliment me.

She challenged me without trying.

As we talked, I noticed something.

She asked about my work.

She asked about my family.

She didn’t just talk about herself.

And when I answered, she responded thoughtfully — not with one-word replies.

At 1:40 AM, I realized I was smiling at my phone.

That hadn’t happened in a long time.

At 2:13 AM, I admitted:

“I don’t usually stay up this late talking to someone.”

That part was true.

When she said she didn’t either, I knew she was lying.

But I liked that she didn’t want to seem too eager.

When we finally said goodnight, I didn’t feel that usual emptiness that comes after chatting with someone online.

Instead, I felt… calm.

And that scared me more than excitement ever could.

Because calm means potential.

And potential means risk.

I set my alarm for 5:30 AM.

Before closing my eyes, I looked at her profile one more time.

“Don’t waste my time.”

I whispered into the dark:

“I won’t.”