Chapter 13: The Calm before the Storm

The silence between them had stretched on for what felt like an eternity. For an entire year, Sophia had waited for this moment—waiting for the chance to speak to Tina again, to make things right, to apologize for what had happened. 

She had spent countless nights wondering if Tina would ever speak to her again, if they could ever be the same after everything that had unfolded.

Then, out of the blue, Tina had reached out. A message, short and to the point, telling Sophia to meet her at the old café they used to frequent. 

The same café where they had shared so many memories, so much laughter. The same place that now felt like a relic of a time they could never return to.

Sophia couldn’t help but feel a mixture of excitement and trepidation as she prepared for their meeting. 

She wanted so badly to make amends, to mend the broken bridge between them. She had spent the year regretting her actions, wishing she could go back and fix things but she was overwhelmed by love.

When she walked into the café, she saw Tina sitting in the corner, a calm expression on her face, a soft smile playing at the corners of her lips. 

Tina looked like she hadn’t aged a day, as if the last year had never happened. She looked almost... serene. Too serene.

Sophia felt a knot form in her stomach. Something about Tina’s demeanor didn’t feel quite right. But she pushed the thought aside and walked over, her heart racing in her chest.

“Tina,” Sophia said, her voice hesitant as she sat down across from her. “I’m so glad you agreed to meet.”

Tina’s smile widened, but there was a subtle edge to it that Sophia couldn’t quite place. “I’ve missed you too, Soph,” she said, her voice soft, almost too soft. “It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?”

Sophia nodded, relief flooding through her. She had expected Tina to be cold, to be angry, but instead, it seemed like she was genuinely happy to see her. 

Maybe, just maybe, this was the beginning of healing. Maybe they could go back to being friends, just like before.

“I’ve been thinking a lot about everything,” Tina continued, her eyes meeting Sophia’s. “About what happened with Alex. And I want you to know... I’m over it.”

Sophia blinked, stunned by Tina’s words. “You... you’re really over it?”

Tina leaned back in her chair, her posture relaxed, as if nothing had ever happened between them. “Yeah. I’m over him. You can have him. I realized that holding onto that grudge wasn’t helping me. It’s not worth it.”

Sophia felt a sense of relief wash over her. She had been so afraid that Tina would never forgive her. 

The guilt she had carried with her for the past year had been suffocating, and now, to hear Tina say those words—it was like a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

“You mean it?” Sophia asked, her voice trembling slightly. “You really don’t mind?”

Tina smiled, her eyes flicking briefly to the side before returning to Sophia’s face. “Of course. 

What’s done is done. I know you care about him, and I’ve had time to think. I just want things to go back to normal, to us being friends again. 

We’ve been through too much together to let one guy come between us.”

Sophia’s heart leaped at the idea of restoring their friendship. 

She had missed Tina so much. 

All the late-night talks, the inside jokes, the way they understood each other without needing to say a word. For a moment, it felt like everything was going to be okay.

“I’ve really missed you,” Sophia admitted, her voice soft, almost embarrassed by how much she was longing for their old connection. “I’ve missed us.”

Tina’s smile softened, her eyes shimmering with what seemed like affection—real affection. “I’ve missed you too, Soph. And I don’t want to keep holding onto the past. Let’s just move forward, okay?”

Sophia nodded eagerly, feeling the relief fill her chest. “Thank you, Tina. You have no idea how much this means to me.”

But as they sat there, talking about old memories and catching up on the year that had passed, Tina’s mind was far from forgiving. Her words, carefully chosen and coated in sweetness, were nothing but a facade. 

Beneath the surface, hidden behind the soft smile and the warm words, was a dark promise—a promise that Sophia would soon come to regret.

Tina had always been good at pretending, at wearing a mask that hid her true feelings. 

She had pretended to be over Alex, to be happy for Sophia, but inside, she was plotting her revenge. 

She had spent an entire year watching from the sidelines, nursing her anger, her resentment, and now it was time for payback.

Sophia thought the storm had passed. She thought that after all this time, things could go back to normal. 

But Tina’s calm exterior hid a heart full of bitterness, a heart that would not rest until Sophia paid for what she had done.

As the conversation flowed, Tina’s eyes never left Sophia’s face. 

She listened, she laughed, she shared memories. But in her mind, she was already planning her next move—one that would destroy the very foundation of everything Sophia had built.

For now, Sophia was blissfully unaware of the storm that was brewing just beneath the surface. But soon, Tina would strike. 

And when she did, Sophia would realize that the calm she had felt in Tina’s presence was nothing more than the eye of a hurric

ane.

Tina is set to exact her revenge, the oke she considered perfect…..