Chapter 7

Thor's special treatment of Lina had me worried; that was for sure. I had tried to win him back by threatening to break up, but all I earned was his disgust. Once I was no longer his only one, everything I did became wrong. It was clear, whatever he and I shared belonged to the past.

As exams approached, I buried myself in study.

Meanwhile, Thor and Lina grew closer by the day; rumor had it they were already a couple. I became the punchline in everyone's gossip.

After the tests, I stayed home—nowhere to go—waiting for my acceptance letter.

Soon, the envelope arrived. I took it from the courier and was about to open it when a shadow fell over my head and someone snatched the letter from my hands. I recognized the thief and felt my mood sour.

"Give that back—it's mine," I said.

Thor ignored me and ripped open the envelope.

My heart lurched; I lunged instinctively and grabbed it back.

"Don't look." I barked.

He looked at me coldly. "I was curious how you did—wanted to see if maybe…"

He trailed off, but I cut him off. "You have no right to see it."

His face hardened, voice sharpening. "Aisha, are you still throwing tantrums after all this time?"

I kept my lips pressed together and looked down. He reached out, pinched my chin, and forced me to meet his gaze.

"I thought you'd use this time to calm down and think. I thought you'd realize where you went wrong. But you don't seem remorseful at all."

I let out a bitter laugh that tasted of scorn. "So, you think I'm the one at fault?"

"Isn't that the case?"

Disappointment thinned across my features; the warmth I once felt for him eroded a little more. I stepped back, about to speak, but he sighed in resignation.

"Fine. If you haven't figured it out yet, take your time. We'll be at the same university—four years should be plenty for you to come to your senses."

I frowned and said, "I applied to another school."

At that moment, his phone rang, drowning out my words. When he glanced at the caller ID, his face softened. He answered; his voice became gentle.

"Lina? What's wrong?"

Even from where I stood, I could hear her tremulous cries through the handset. "Thor, I'm being harassed by some thugs. They're forcing me to drink. I'm at the Last Drop Bar. Come quickly."

Thor's expression snapped into panic. He turned and started to leave, murmuring reassurances into the phone as he went. "Don't be afraid. I'm on my way. If anyone lays a finger on you, I'll kill them."

I watched his retreating back until he vanished, and whatever storm had been in me calmed. Whether he'd heard my earlier words or not didn't matter anymore; I had said them.

I slit open the envelope. The university name confirmed my new plan: a school far from the city I lived in. I had no intention of coming back for those four years. From then on, my life and Thor's no longer intersected.

His life, however, brimmed with excitement. He spent his days dining and partying with friends, always with Lina at his side. They traveled together, dived together, trekked forests, spent nights in caves—every adventure photographed and posted to his social feed. Lina's face appeared in every album, radiant with joy.

One day, he even posted a photo of Lina kissing his cheek.