...
The moment I saw the name on Sami's phone, everything inside me tightened.
Marvel.
Again.
I didn't say anything at first. I just looked at him, waiting.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Nuella… it's not what you think."
"Then explain," I said quietly, my voice calmer than I felt.
For a second, he hesitated. Then he unlocked his phone and handed it to me.
"Look at the chats."
I took it slowly, my fingers slightly tense as I opened the messages.
And immediately… I saw it.
Marvel.
Message after message.
Voice notes. Missed calls. Long texts.
I opened one of the chats.
"Are you guys dating?"
Sami's reply:
"It's none of your business."
I swallowed.
Another message from her:
"So you picked her over me?"
There was no reply to that one.
Then more messages followed.
Long ones.
Messy ones.
She talked about me—about things I had never said.
"She's been gossiping about me to Mia."
"She said I sleep around."
"What exactly did you tell her about me?"
My chest tightened as I read.
Anger rose slowly, building with every line.
I looked up at Sami. "Why didn't you stop her?"
"I tried," he said quickly. "Nuella, I didn't even reply most of it. She's the one texting, calling, sending voice notes… even shouting at me on the phone."
I frowned slightly. "And you're still replying."
"I'm not entertaining her," he said, his voice softer now. "I just didn't want things to get messy."
I stared at him for a moment.
He had always been calm. Careful. The type to avoid unnecessary drama.
But still…
"Must you reply her at all?" I asked quietly.
He paused.
Then shook his head. "You're right."
There was a brief silence between us.
Then he reached for my hand.
"Nothing is going to happen between me and her," he said firmly. "I promise you that. I can never go back to that. Not after everything."
I searched his face.
And slowly… I believed him.
The tension in my chest eased, just a little.
"Okay," I whispered.
The rest of the time we spent together was quiet. Not awkward—just calm. Like we both needed that silence to settle everything that had been said.
And for a moment, I felt okay again.
Not perfect.
But okay.
When I got back to the dorm, the atmosphere felt… different.
Mia and Marvel were together again. Sitting close. Talking in low voices, their laughter soft but constant.
I paused for a second at the door before stepping in.
"Hey," Mia said, glancing up briefly.
"Hey," I replied.
Marvel just looked at me, her expression unreadable.
Things weren't the same anymore.
We still talked, but it wasn't like before. There was a distance now—subtle, but real.
And I found myself avoiding it.
Avoiding conflict.
Keeping everything light, casual.
Like nothing mattered.
But deep down… I knew it did.
Later that evening, Mia came over to my bed.
"Hey," she said. "Marvel is looking for her perfume and serum."
I frowned slightly. "Okay…?"
"She said she can't find them," Mia continued.
I shrugged. "I don't even know what her things look like. Maybe she misplaced them. You know how she keeps her stuff."
Mia nodded slowly, but something about her expression lingered for a second longer than usual.
Then she left.
And I brushed it off.
The next morning…
I woke up slowly, the room still quiet.
Mia and Marvel were on Mia's bed, close again, their heads bent together as they went through Mia's phone.
I frowned slightly, still half asleep.
"What are you guys doing?" I asked.
"Nothing," Mia said quickly, placing the phone down.
I didn't push it.
But something about it didn't sit right.
Before I could think further, the door opened.
Cassie walked in.
And immediately, I knew something was wrong.
She looked… anxious.
Her movements were quick, almost rushed.
Without saying a word, she went straight to her wardrobe and opened it, stuffing some of her clothes inside like she was in a hurry.
I sat up slowly, watching her.
"Cassie?"
She didn't respond.
A few seconds later, she left the room—then came back almost immediately and locked the door behind her.
That caught my attention.
Fully.
She moved closer to my bunk and squatted down, pretending to reach for something from the fridge.
But then…
I heard it.
A soft sound.
Like something sliding.
Back and forth.
Hidden.
My eyes narrowed slightly.
What was she doing?
She stood up quickly and walked out again.
The room fell into silence.
Then—
A knock.
Sharp.
Unexpected.
We all froze.