I'm lying in bed when the notification comes through at 11:47 PM on Friday night. Riley's at some party and the dorm is quiet.
Instagram notification: ethan.parker liked your post
I stare at my phone, then sit up and open Instagram to check which post. It's from July—the pool photo, me in a black swimsuit with the "unbothered" caption. He liked it, then unliked it immediately, but the notification still went through.
I check the timestamp again. 11:47 PM. He's looking through my Instagram right now, at midnight on a Friday, scrolling back two months, looking at photos of me.
A smile spreads across my face. This is better than I could have planned.
I screenshot the notification with the timestamp clear and his username visible, then open my story and add the screenshot. I type over it: someone's doing research 👀 and post it. Within seconds, views start rolling in. My followers see it, but more importantly, he'll see it. He'll know that I know.
