Chapter 10: A Line Redrawn
814 Words
Chapter 10: A Line Redrawn
October painted Rosehill in deep oranges and reds. The trees looked like they were on fire, and the crisp air carried the scent of cinnamon and change. Fall was Hina’s favorite season—warm drinks, oversized sweaters, cuddling under blankets. But this year, it felt different.
This year, she was in love.
Real, scary, soul-deep love.
With Jordan.
And the entire town knew.
---
The day started like any other. Hina opened Brew & Bloom, humming under her breath, hair tucked into a beanie, oversized hoodie hiding the fact that she was already running thirty minutes late.
She wasn’t expecting Jordan.
But he strolled in just after ten, holding a tiny velvet box.
Hina froze mid-latte.
“Don’t worry, it’s not a ring,” he teased, walking behind the counter like he owned the place.
She snorted. “Okay, because I’m not emotionally stable enough for that today.”
He opened the box. Inside was a delicate gold necklace with a tiny heart charm.
“For surviving this month,” he said. “And for not decking Mara Elise with a pastry tray.”
She beamed. “You know me so well.”
He leaned in and clasped it around her neck. His fingers brushed her skin. Her breath hitched.
“You good?” he asked softly.
“Yeah. Just very aware you’re touching my neck in public.”
He grinned. “Let them talk.”
---
That afternoon, Lola dropped by.
She took one look at the necklace and raised an eyebrow.
“Wow. He’s spoiling you now?”
“He said it’s a ‘thank you for not committing a felony’ gift.”
Lola cackled. “I love that. You know, I’m still adjusting to the whole you-and-my-brother dynamic, but... you look happy. Like, glowy-happy.”
“I am.”
“Then I’m good.”
Hina gave her a crooked smile. “Thanks for not making this harder than it already was.”
Lola shrugged. “Love’s messy. But if it’s real? You fight for it.”
---
But that night, the fight found them.
Jordan got a call.
A job offer.
In New York.
Six months. Project-based. High salary. Career goldmine.
When he told Hina, she didn’t cry.
She just sat very still. “Are you taking it?”
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I wasn’t expecting it.”
She looked away. “Well, you should take it. It’s everything you’ve worked for.”
His voice dropped. “And leave you?”
“You’re not leaving me. You’re going to work. There’s a difference.”
But her voice cracked.
Jordan sat beside her, pulling her into his arms. “I don’t want to lose what we have.”
“You won’t.”
“Promise me we’ll be okay.”
Hina swallowed. “Promise me you’ll come back.”
He kissed her forehead. “Always.”
---
A week later, he left.
And just like that, Hina had to learn how to breathe without him again.
---
The town was quieter.
So was Hina.
But every morning, her phone lit up.
Jordan: Good morning, pretty girl ☀️
Jordan: I saw a croissant today and missed you.
Jordan: Counting down the days.
They FaceTimed. Sent playlists. Watched shows at the same time.
It wasn’t easy.
But it was real.
---
One evening, as she locked up Brew & Bloom, her mom was waiting on the porch.
“Hi,” Hina said carefully.
“Hi,” her mother said. Then handed her a box of jollof rice and meat pies.
“For the cold nights.”
Hina blinked. “Thanks?”
They sat in silence for a long moment.
“I was wrong,” her mother said finally. “Love doesn’t always destroy. Sometimes... it refines.”
Hina felt her throat close up.
“I still worry,” her mom added. “But I see you. I see how he looks at you.”
“Even from miles away?”
Her mom gave a rare smile. “Even then.”
---
Weeks passed.
Hina lived. Worked. Missed him.
And then one morning, she opened Brew & Bloom to find Jordan standing inside, holding two croissants and grinning like a fool.
“Surprise.”
She ran into his arms like something out of a dream.
He kissed her. Deep. Real. There. In front of everyone.
“You came back early.”
“I couldn’t stay away.”
“What about the job?”
“I finished early. And I realized something...” He pulled something from his pocket.
A key.
“I want to come home to you. Always.”
Hina laughed. Then cried. Then kissed him again.
And in that moment, surrounded by cinnamon and sunlight, they weren’t hiding.
They weren’t fighting.
They were just in love.
Loud, fearless, and free.
---
[END OF CHAPTER 10]
- Writer
