I didn't want to see him. I didn't want to hear anything. Last night had been… too much. My chest still felt heavy, my hands were still trembling from Marvel's words. The idea of facing Sami, of listening to him explain, made my stomach twist.
But Mia, ever the practical one, had been relentless. "Em… you should hear his side. You can't just go on guessing."
I rolled my eyes, but deep down… she was right. I owed myself the truth, even if it hurt.
That night, I found myself standing outside his dorm, phone clutched tightly in my hands. My heart was racing, but I forced myself to knock. He opened the door almost immediately, eyes wide, worried.
"Em…" Sami started, but I held up my hand. "Stop. Just… tell me everything."
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "Okay… listen. Marvel… she was my ex. We broke up back in January. We decided to stay friends after that. When I met you, I was single. I never expected both of you to end up in the same room okay, that was a kind of weird coincident, I'm sorry."
My fingers tightened around my phone. I could feel the walls closing in.
"And… the cheating?" I asked, voice barely above a whisper.
He nodded. "Yeah… she cheated on me. But we broke up on good terms. No fights, no drama. I wanted to stay calm… stay friends."
I stared at him, heart pounding. "Then why would she lie to me? She told me she never dated you, that she was just a friend. Why lie?"
Sami's face fell, his eyes dark with regret. "I don't know… maybe she didn't want to look bad in front of you. Maybe she… I don't know, she still had feelings for me at some point. But yes… they were together. For a year and eight months. She was your typical girlfriend… everything. I never hid it from anyone because… it's the past. I thought it was over."
I sank onto his bed, feeling dizzy. So all this time, Marvel had been lying to me, twisting the story. She said she never dated him… and yet, they had done everything a couple would do. My chest ached, part of me angry, part of me… confused.
"I'm sorry," Sami said softly, sitting beside me. "I never wanted you to feel stressed or betrayed. I never expected her to be in your room. I swear, everything between us was fine until this mess started."
I didn't know what to say. My heart was torn between relief and betrayal. Relief that Sami hadn't lied about his past with her, about when they broke up. Betrayal because… Marvel had lied, and for some reason, that stung more than anything else.
I realized, in that moment, that the tension wasn't just about Sami. It was about trust, lies, and the people who meddle in our lives. And Marvel… she had made it personal.
I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. "I need time," I finally said, my voice trembling. "Time to process… everything."
Sami nodded, silent but understanding. I left that night with my heart still racing, but at least now… I had his side of the story. The real story.
I actually don't want this to slide so I decided to confront Marvel
I stepped back into the dorm, my chest still heavy from Sami's explanation. My heart was racing, but I knew I couldn't let my emotions explode in front of Marvel. Not yet.
I found her sitting on her bunk, scrolling lazily on her phone, perfectly calm like nothing had happened.
"Marvel," I said, keeping my voice steady. "Can we talk?"
She looked up, one brow slightly raised, her lips curling into a faint smirk. "Sure… about what?"
I took a deep breath. "About Sami. You told me you guys didn't date… that you were just friends. But now he said you were his ex."
Her expression didn't falter. She leaned back, shrugging. "I didn't see him as an ex. It was all over. No need to claim we dated. Besides… he wasn't worth it."
I blinked, taken aback. Part of me wanted to argue, part of me wanted to just walk away. But I forced myself to remain calm. "I don't want to fight with you over a guy," I said, voice steady. "We could be cool. Everyone would be fine."
Marvel's smirk softened into a small smile. "I can't fight. You're… you're calm. I like that. I guess we don't have to make this complicated."
I nodded slowly. Relief and unease mingled inside me. On the surface, it seemed like we had reached some kind of truce. But I knew better. Deep down, things could never be completely smooth between us. Marvel had stirred the pot, and the tension she created wasn't going away anytime soon.
I glanced around the dorm, thinking about the second year ahead. I had barely made it back due to money issues and other complications. Just being here was already stressful. I didn't need unnecessary fights on top of everything else.
Still… the truth lingered. Marvel had lied. And though I wasn't going to start a war over it, I knew that this quiet truce was fragile. A single wrong word, a small misunderstanding… and the tension between us could explode.
I let out a slow breath and tried to push the thought away. "Okay," I said lightly. "We'll just… move on."
She nodded, and for a moment, the dorm felt calm. But I knew better. Calm was temporary. The storm was still there, waiting. And I had a feeling this year in the dorm, with Sami, Marvel, and everything in between… was going to test me more than I could imagine.
I hadn't been replying to Sami. Our relationship was only seven months old, but it already felt like we were standing on the edge of something fragile. Between Marvel's lies, the gossip, and the stress of being back in college, I didn't want to talk. I wasn't ready to hear anything—not from him, not from anyone.
And yet… that night, my phone rang.
His name flashed across the screen: Sami.
My chest tightened. Seven months of laughter, small fights, promises, and late-night talks… and suddenly it all collided with the tension of the dorm, Marvel's smirk, and the lies she'd told. I didn't want to answer. I didn't want to hear him.
But curiosity—or maybe something deeper—won. I swiped.
"Em…" His voice was soft, almost hesitant. Even after all this, hearing him made my heart skip.
"Hi…" I said quietly, trying to sound calm.
"I… I know things got messy last night," he said, his tone heavy with worry. "Marvel… I didn't expect her to be in your room, or to say all those things. I just… I want you to know the truth. I never hid anything from you. You're the only one I care about."
I swallowed hard. My fingers gripped the phone tightly. "Sami… I don't know if I can just… trust that. Seven months… it's not that long, but it feels like there's so much already."
"I understand," he said softly. "I know it's complicated. I'm not asking for you to forgive me right away. I just… want to explain, for you to hear my side. Please."
I looked away, staring at the ceiling. Seven months had been enough to feel close, to share pieces of our lives, but this—this drama, this lies—was testing everything. My heart wanted to believe him. My mind wanted to protect itself.
"I… I need time," I whispered. "I don't know if I can process all this right now."
"Take all the time you need," he said, calm and patient. "I'll wait. I'll be here. I just… don't want you to think I'm hiding anything from you."
I hung up, heart pounding, chest tight. Sami hadn't done anything wrong—but Marvel's lies had made it feel like a storm I wasn't ready to face. I wasn't ready to fully trust him yet, and I knew that the tension in the dorm was far from over.
And in that moment, I realized something: even seven months into a relationship, love could still be messy, complicated, and completely overwhelming.