Lahat ng Kabanata ng LOOM OF THORNS : Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

BECCA'S POV The closet was a coffin of camphor, mothballs, starch, and the suffocating, metallic tang of Josh’s blood. I wiped my eyes, my heart still stinging from the kiss that had tasted like iron and stolen secrets.I hissed, "You're just too shameless. Caressing and touching a stranger like you're sex-starved. I'll implore you to keep your hands to yourself; I'm not one of those girls whom you cheaply get into their pants."I shoved him back firmly, yet he wasn't budging. My heart was beating; I was scared. Not in my wildest fantasies had I expected my first kiss was going to be like this—stolen by an arrogant brute."Create in me a clean heart, O God," I whispered, the Psalm a shield against the heat radiating from the man pinned against me.Josh let out a short, dry laugh that ended in a wince. "A clean heart? Becca, men with guns are outside and I'm bleeding on your shoes. My heart is beating too fast for 'clean' right now."I looked up, my gaze cutting through the dark. "You

BECCA'S POVThe whispers followed me like a swarm of angry bees as I reached the Faculty of Food Science and Human Ecology. Usually, I was a ghost in these halls, but today, I was a spectacle.I saw him then. Josh was standing by the large mahogany doors of the lecture hall, looking breathtakingly handsome as usual, surrounded by his political aides.He was actually my senior by two years, a 500-level Computer Engineering student. Intelligent, wealthy, famous. His girlfriend Ada is the "Queen NUAT"—tall, dark-skinned, and curvy, with high cheekbones and a look that could draw blood. She was in her finals studying Management and Accounting.Ladies swoon at the sight of him. Until today, I had never paid attention to him. I was riled up at the thought of him leaving without a "thank you." Silly boy, I muttered to myself. He looked perfectly put together today—no blood, no wrinkles, no sign of the man who had trembled in my closet just hours ago.Our eyes met. My heart leaped. I expected

BECCA’S POVJosh lived in the "Elite Block." Even the name felt like a wall designed to keep people like me out. It was 10:30 PM, and the air was thick with the thumping bass of Afrobeats and the spicy, charred scent of suya from the aboki at the gate. I wouldn't be caught dead here under normal circumstances, but normal died the moment Josh bled on my floor.I found him in the common room, looking like a king on a velvet throne. He held a chilled "Bullet" energy drink, surrounded by his political riffraff and Ada. She was beautiful, dark-skinned, and curvy, holding his hand with a possessive, coquettish smirk.When I walked in, my Bible tucked under my arm and my eyes blazing, the room went silent."Becca?" Josh stood up, his lopsided grin faltering. "I thought I told you to stay away.""And I thought I told you to go rot," I hissed. I stepped close enough to smell his expensive cologne—the scent that now felt like a curse. I didn't slap him. Instead, I pressed that chilly note into

BECCA’S POVThe morning light felt like an intruder. It crawled across the cold floor of Josh’s room, mocking my exhaustion. I hadn't slept; my Bible was still clutched to my chest, my eyes gritty from a night of silent tears and hyper-vigilance."You can't go out in those," Josh said, his voice raspy from sleep. He was sitting on the floor, leaning against the wardrobe, still nursing the faint red mark on his cheek where I had branded him with my palm. He pointed to my clothes from yesterday—the white frilly blouse was stained with dust and my skirt wrinkled beyond repair."I have no choice," I whispered, my voice cracking. "I have a 9:00 AM practical. If I miss it, my CA is gone."Josh stood up, wincing. He walked to his closet and pulled out a heavy, oversized black hoodie with "KING’S COURT" printed in bold gold letters across the back and a pair of joggers. It was his signature campaign gear. Everyone on campus knew it."Wear this," he said, tossing it to me. "It’s better than we

BECCA’S POVThe walk back to the Elite Male Hostel felt like walking through a gauntlet. The "KING’S COURT" gold lettering on my back might as well have been a bullseye. Every girl loitering on the balconies and every guy leaning against a parked car seemed to have a smartphone aimed at me. The whispers weren't even whispers anymore—they were loud, mocking laughs. It was a blatant show of shame.I didn't look up. I couldn't. If I saw one more smirk, I feared I would simply dissolve into the pavement. By the time I reached Josh’s door, my lungs felt tight, as if the heavy hoodie were physically squeezing the air out of me. I knocked—three frantic, uneven taps.The door swung open almost instantly. Josh stood there, his hair messy, looking like he’d been running his hand through them. The moment he saw my face—red-rimmed eyes and trembling lips—his expression shifted from irritation to a raw, startled concern.I didn't wait for an invitation. I pushed past