Chapter 19 Jace stood beneath the familiar tree outside Sloane's dorm, eyes fixed on the window glowing with warm light. He knew she was up there. His limbs were going numb from the cold, but the ache in his chest remained sharp and steady. He thought of all the times he had waited like this before, after upsetting her. Back then, no matter how angry she had been, she would eventually come down, tears in her eyes, and fall into his arms. But this time, she didn't. Early risers walked past under their umbrellas, some glancing at him with curiosity or pity before moving He was drenched, shivering uncontrollably now, his face flushed with an unnatural red, his head spinning. Finally, the dorm door opened. But it wasn't Sloane-it was one of her roommates. She took one look at him, soaking wet and miserable, and sighed. After a moment of hesitation, she stepped forward and held an umbrella over his head, shielding him from the rain. "Jace, you should go back," the roommate said, her voice tinged with reluctance. "Sloane asked me to tell you... 'Please stop bothering her."" The rain felt scalding in that moment, like it was burning straight through his skin. Jace staggered. He understood. She really was done with him. The Sloane who used to secretly worry when he stood in the rain, the one who would smile through her tears at his smallest gesture... she was gone. Gone under the weight of his favoritism, his excuses, his betrayals. He took the umbrella, but didn't open it. He turned and walked away, his steps unsteady. Back in his dorm, he spent two days in a feverish haze. Images from their past looped in his mind, over and over-the sweet moments, the fights, and, most vividly, her cold, empty eyes the last time she looked at him. As if he were a stranger. When he finally recovered, Jace was no longer the same. The sharp, arrogant edge he used to carry had vanished, replaced by a heavy stillness. Chapter 19 86.36% He stopped asking about her. Stopped appearing near her classes or the dance studio. He signed up for counseling. Every week, at the same time, he met with the school therapist. In that quiet space, he finally stopped running. He confronted the pain he had ignored, the hurt he had caused her, and the flaws in himself that he had never dared to face. Southridge University wasn't that big, so sometimes, they still crossed paths. At the cafeteria. In the library aisles. On the long avenue lined with phoenix trees. Sometimes he saw her first. She'd be walking with Eli or her roommates, occasionally smiling. Each time, his heart would twist painfully, but he would quietly look away and walk in the opposite direction. Sometimes, she saw him first. Her gaze would pass over him calmly before she continued her conversation, walking away without pause. At the end of the semester, the list for the overseas exchange program was posted. Jace stared at the bulletin board. The name of the university was in a country across the ocean, far away. A place with no memories of Sloane, no lingering shadows of Marissa. A place where he could truly start over. He stood there for a long time, then took out his phone and snapped a picture of the notice. Turning away, steady. he headed toward the Office of International Programs. His pace was slow, but his steps were Chapter 19 86.36%