"Want. Ask. Get. But not with her."— Elias
I set a goal. I reach it.
Elias
It was 6:00 a.m.
I stood outside Alex's apartment with a paper bag in one hand and black coffee in the other.
Her phone wasn't ringing.
Fine. It was early. Too early.
But the sandwiches were already paid for, and I'd already driven here telling myself this was a "normal, friendly, no-big-deal" thing to do.
It wasn't.
It was a terrible plan.
The lights inside were off. No shadows behind the blinds.
Just the steady hum of traffic and some idiot honking two blocks away.
I checked my phone again.
Still nothing.
I waited another thirty seconds before heading back to the truck.
Set the food on the passenger seat. Sat down.
Gripped the steering wheel like it might stop me from making more bad decisions.
Spoiler: it didn't.
I unlocked my phone.
Opened a message thread.
Luca
how do you ask a girl out
but like
not casually
but also not in a way that makes it weird if she says no
I stared at it for a while. Thought about deleting it.
Five minutes later, the reply came:
Luca
Who are you asking?
Me:
…Liana
Luca
Man. Finally.
Me:
What do you mean?
Luca
I mean you've been looking at her like a war widow for two years.
Everyone knows.
Except, apparently, the two of you.
I sighed. Dropped the phone into the cup holder.
This was why I didn't ask for help.
I wasn't good at this. Never needed to be.
Want. Ask. Get. That was the pattern.
But this—this wasn't about getting.
This was her.
Liana.
The only person who could break me without even trying.
The only one I couldn't risk screwing up with.
Which made everything feel... impossible.
I picked up my phone again.
This time: Alex
how do I ask Liana out
without freaking her out
and preferably without looking like an idiot
Her reply came fast. Too fast.
Alex
Holy shit.
Are you seriously asking ME this?
Elias Wolfe, the guy who once stared down a cartel sniper without blinking, is scared of asking a girl to dinner?
God. You're in love.
Please don't use a SWAT tactic to flirt.
I rubbed a hand down my face.
This was a disaster.
And I hadn't even said the words out loud yet.
Still—
I started thinking about where I could take her.
What I'd say.
And whether I'd survive it.
💬 Is this the worst plan Elias ever made... or the best one?
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