Asher

It’s funny how life works sometimes. You think you’re doing something for someone else, but it ends up changing everything for you. That’s what happened to me. I wasn’t looking for love—hell, I wasn’t even looking for myself. I was just trying to help my best friend, Jake, who’d been alone for too long. The flickering screen illuminated my face, casting dancing shadows in the otherwise dark room. Another swipe left. Another discarded profile. I told myself I was doing this for Jake, my best friend. He’d been moping around for months, ever since his last relationship imploded. So, here I was, a guy in a stale, two-year relationship with a woman I barely recognized, trying to find love for someone else. The irony wasn't lost on me. My relationship with Hannah had become a routine, a comfortable silence punctuated by the occasional, strained conversation. I felt trapped, but maybe I was too afraid to admit it, even to myself. Hannah had become distant, possessive, even keeping me from seeing Jake. That was probably a major reason I was on this app, looking for love for him; to ease the guilt of abandoning my friend for a failing relationship. I’m about to give up when her profile pops up. Her bio is simple but intriguing: *“I believe in small moments, big laughs, and the magic of a good book. Also, I’m terrible at bios.”* There’s a photo of her smiling, her hair caught in the wind, and something about her feels… different. Without thinking, I swipe right. A match. My heart skips a beat, and I feel a pang of guilt. This isn’t for me, I remind myself. It’s for Jake.