Chapter 10 After a ten-hour flight, I landed in the UK.] The whirlwind of settling into a new country left little room for anything else-let alone dwelling on the past.[] By the time I finally caught my breath, days had slipped by.[] I opened Instagram.] My feed was flooded with posts from Ayla-photo after photo, each one featuring Tanner.[] As the days went by, their poses grew noticeably closer, more intimate.[] One picture stopped me cold: Tanner asleep beside her in a narrow hospital bed, his profile sharp even in rest.[] Caption: This idiot stole my bed? I'm the patient here... and also a girl??] I stared for a long time.]] Tanner had never crossed that line with her before-not like this.] Then I remembered his threat: See what happens when I spend a whole week with someone who actually wants me around.[] Maybe he knew I was still following her. Maybe this was all for me.[] Under one post, a mutual friend commented:[] Wait isn't Tanner still with Addie? This feels kinda messy...] Ayla fired back: They broke up. Keep barking and you're getting blocked.[] A dry laugh escaped me. With a quiet tap, I unfollowed her.[] I changed my number, deleted old accounts, and started building a new circle in my new life. Two weeks later, my mom called. She sounded exhausted.[] "Honey... did you really not tell Tanner you were leaving? He's losing his mind."[] "What happened?" "He didn't realize you were gone until a week after break. When he couldn't reach you, he panicked-even filed a missing person report."]] "Then the school told him you withdrew. He flew back immediately, showed up at our door asking if you were retaking exams. I told him you're studying abroad. He refused to believe it-said you would've told him."[] Chapter 10 "I didn't let him in, but he keeps coming back crying, begging to see you. I can't take it anymore. Please just talk to him."]] I sighed. Just to give my mom some peace , I logged into that old account and unblocked Tanner on IG. The second he saw me online, a video call request flashed across the screen.]]