Between Dreams And Distance

Chapter 3: Love in Silence

As soon as the police got close,they confronted Anthony and Daniel and they explained the scenario to the police and the police assured both of them that they will try as much as they can to catch those hooded men.

Anthony thanked them for showing up quickly if not they would have been injured. The police told them someone called the station about the hooded men attacks but they don't know who it was that called.

Anthony thought of calling his father to report to him but he knew his father would immediately terminate his admission if heard about the attack so he kept his phone back in his pocket.

Daniel managed to get the car working again and he called Anthony and they drove off. Anthony's mind was now focused on the envelope his father gave him and he wondered what could be inside it.

That thought alone prompted him to call his father but he knew it would expose the attack he planned to keep a secret so he dropped the thoughts and let it slide.

Anthony and Daniel found a quiet hotel on the edges of the highway,it was a temporary escape from the chaos of the city. Despite Daniel being his driver,he had become more than a friend to Anthony, almost like a brother and Anthony insisted Daniel lodge a room too instead of him sleeping in the car. The elderly man appreciated the gesture quietly.

By dawn, Daniel was already in the car, dressed and ready for his master . Anthony was dazed but also determined,he refreshed himself quickly and joined Daniel. The journey resumed,the morning sun was spilling over the highways that promised a new life.

At last, they arrived at Stanford University. Anthony's father had spared no expense and it really showed. The campus stretched elegantly ,it was more magnificent and glorious than the glossy photos online. The sound of students laughing, chatting and racing across lawns was overwhelming,so different from high school. Anthony's stomach groaned. He was just a freshman,yet he felt all eyes might land on him.

Outside the car was a woman in a smart red suit awaiting him. She introduced herself as his campus liaison.

“Good day,Mr Anthony,”she said with a calm but firm voice.

Anthony nodded , “Good day ,miss.”

“You must have had a long journey. I assure you,it was worth it because you are in the right place,”she added.

Anthony shrugged, with a half smile. “I hope you are right.”

The tour began. Anthony followed dutifully,he was observing students,some of them waved at him. He waved back politely, though his mind wandered. He got a text from Sophia but he ignored it,he was waiting for a quiet moment. The tour continued through endless corridors and lecture halls and finally, they reached his dorm.

The room was impressive, spacious with a fancy top of the line air conditioner and a perfect bathroom. Anthony's father was filthy rich so he deserved the special treatment given to him by the University.

Anthony unpacked slowly and carefully,he was arranging his belongings and he searched for the envelope inside but was too afraid to open it. He kept it back waiting for the right time and when he finally sat on his bed,he was filled with exhaustion but his thoughts were already miles away thinking of Sophia.

He missed her with an ache he didn't expect, there won't be late night talks under the mango tree again,no soft knock on the gate with a shy “Hi.” He was already missing her laughter,the way she teased him, and the nickname she gave him ‘Mr. Engineer’;those moments were replaying in his mind.

Anthony tried to distract himself by reaching for his phone,he called her but her line failed. He wanted to hear her voice once more and also tell her about the attack on his way here but she was offline. Then frustration met him and he scrolled through t****k but the contents he watched couldn't fill the void.

Meanwhile, Sophia was struggling too. Network issues prevented her from texting or calling and it made her angry, worried and she contemplated throwing the phone.

Instead,she grabbed a Notebook and began writing Anthony's name repeatedly,tracing the letters with her trembling fingers.

It had been a week and silence stretched between them,it was unspoken and heavy.

But Sophia didn't resent it, she understood the pressures Anthony might have been facing but fear lingered; would the distance slowly make him forget her? would he forget the sound of her laugh, the little ways she corrected his spellings?

Before sleeping, she stumbled upon one of Anthony's letters tucked inside an English textbook. Her heart skipped a beat as she unfolded the familiar handwriting:

“Dear Sophia,

Even if we don't talk everyday, just know you are still in my heart. No distance can ever make me forget you.”

A blush popped across her cheeks and she whispered . “Me too.”

Well, neither of them had said I love you aloud yet, but it was in every letter, every silence and every promise they quietly kept. But fate has its own plans.

Later that night, Anthony's phone buzzed unexpectedly,he got a message from someone he didn't recognize. The sender's name flashed briefly before disappearing; “Sophia?”

It made Anthony's heart race. Could it really be her trying to reach him through some slight glitches in the system? Or was it someone else?

After washing his fluffy hair,he grabbed a towel and cleaned his face and he got to where he placed the phone.

He hesitated ,his fingers hovered over the screen and his pulse kept thundering in his ears. The silence had been unbearable but now the possibility of hearing her voice again was only a tap away.

And with that thought, Anthony realized that distance wasn't the enemy only; time, miscommunication and unexpected obstacles was the real test of their love.