That evening, Anna lay on her bed staring at the ceiling.
Sophia's words kept repeating in her mind.
"I think I like him."
Anna hugged her pillow tightly.
She hadn't cried.
But her chest felt heavy.
For the first time, her feelings didn't feel sweet.
They felt painful.
She thought about Sophia.
Sophia was confident.
She laughed loudly.
She talked to everyone easily.
She looked pretty even without trying.
Anna looked at herself in the mirror.
Quiet.
Simple.
Always in the background.
Maybe Oliver would like someone like Sophia.
Maybe he was looking at her all along.
Maybe Anna had just imagined everything.
The teasing.
The "Roll 11."
The small smiles.
Maybe they didn't mean anything.
Her heart felt small that night.
Not angry at Sophia.
Not angry at Oliver.
Just… hurt.
She didn't want to compete.
She didn't want to lose her friend.
So she made a quiet decision.
If Oliver liked Sophia, she would step back.
Even if it broke her a little.
Because in her mind, Sophia was better than her.
And maybe… Oliver deserved someone better.
Anna turned off the lights and closed her eyes.
For the first time, loving him didn't feel beautiful.
It felt lonely. 💕