Time Heals All Wounds By Oliver Thomas 32 Summary
After a long and exhausting flight, the narrator arrives in the UK and tries to focus on building a new life, pushing thoughts of the past aside. However, scrolling through Instagram reveals a flood of pictures of Ayla and Tanner together, growing increasingly close and intimate. One particular photo of Tanner asleep beside Ayla in a hospital bed shocks the narrator, stirring a painful and confusing emotion.
The narrator reflects on Tanner’s earlier threat about spending time with someone who truly wants him, wondering if these posts are meant to be seen by them. A mutual friend questions Tanner’s relationship status, and Ayla confirms their breakup with Tanner, which prompts the narrator to unfollow her and take steps to sever ties with the past by changing phone numbers and deleting social media accounts.
Two weeks later, the narrator’s mother calls, revealing that Tanner has been frantic and desperate since the narrator’s sudden disappearance. He even filed a missing person report and flew back home, unable to accept the narrator’s absence. Despite the mother’s pleas, the narrator initially resists reconnecting but eventually logs into the old Instagram account to unblock Tanner.
Almost immediately after appearing online, a video call request from Tanner appears, signaling a confrontation or conversation that is about to unfold. The chapter ends with this tense moment, filled with unresolved emotions and anticipation.
Continue Regular Chapter Reading Below
After a grueling ten-hour flight, I finally touched down in the UK. The rush of adjusting to a completely new environment consumed me, leaving hardly any space to think about anything else—especially not the past.
By the time I managed to catch my breath and settle in, several days had quietly slipped away. I found myself scrolling through Instagram, almost absentmindedly.
My feed was suddenly overwhelmed with pictures of Ayla—one after another—and every single photo included Tanner. With each passing day, their closeness became more apparent, their poses more intimate, as if they were growing inseparable.
Then, one image stopped me dead in my tracks: Tanner lying asleep next to her in a cramped hospital bed. Even in rest, his profile was strikingly defined.
The caption read: “This idiot stole my bed? I’m the patient here… and also a girl??”
I stared at that photo for what felt like an eternity. Tanner had never crossed that boundary with her before—not like this. A sharp pang of something I couldn’t quite name twisted inside me.
Then I recalled his words—the threat he had made: *“See what happens when I spend an entire week with someone who actually wants me around.”*
Maybe he was aware I was still keeping tabs on her. Maybe all of this was meant for me to see.
Underneath one of the posts, a mutual friend had commented:
“Wait, isn’t Tanner still with Addie? This feels kinda messy…”
Ayla snapped back quickly:
“We broke up. Keep barking and you’re getting blocked.”
A dry, bitter laugh escaped me. With a quiet tap, I unfollowed her.
I changed my phone number, deleted old social media accounts, and began to construct a new life, surrounded by a new circle of people.
Two weeks later, my mom called. Her voice was heavy with exhaustion.
“Honey… did you really not tell Tanner you were leaving? He’s losing his mind.”
“What happened?” I asked, my heart suddenly pounding.
“He didn’t realize you were gone until a week after your break. When he couldn’t reach you, he panicked—he even filed a missing person report.”
“Then the school told him you’d withdrawn. He flew back immediately, showed up at our door asking if you were retaking exams. I told him you were studying abroad. He refused to believe it—said you would’ve told him.”
“I didn’t let him in, but he keeps coming back, crying and begging to see you. I can’t take it anymore. Please, just talk to him.”
I sighed deeply, feeling the weight of it all. Just to give my mom some peace, I logged into that old Instagram account and unblocked Tanner.
The moment I appeared online, a video call request popped up on my screen.
15:07
Conclusion
The chapter closes on a poignant note, capturing the complex emotions that come with endings and new beginnings. The protagonist’s journey of escape and reinvention is tinged with the lingering pain of past connections, especially the unresolved tension with Tanner. The act of unfollowing, changing numbers, and building a new life speaks to a desperate need for closure and healing, yet the sudden reappearance of Tanner’s call reminds us that some bonds are not so easily severed.
In this quiet moment of vulnerability, the story delicately explores themes of loss, longing, and the difficulty of moving on. The emotional undercurrents reveal that while time may soothe wounds, it also brings moments of reckoning. The chapter leaves us suspended between the past and the future, with the promise that true resolution requires courage to face what remains unspoken.
What to Expect in Next Chapter?
The next chapter promises to delve deeper into the tangled emotions and unresolved tensions between the narrator and Tanner. With the sudden reappearance of Tanner in the narrator’s digital life, the stage is set for a confrontation that could either reopen old wounds or begin the slow process of healing. The raw vulnerability hinted at through the missed connections and desperate calls suggests that neither of them has fully moved on, and the coming interactions will challenge their boundaries and feelings.
As the story unfolds, expect a mix of hesitation, longing, and possibly anger as both characters navigate the fragile space between past pain and the possibility of reconciliation. The narrator’s decision to unblock Tanner is a small but significant step, hinting at a willingness to face what was left unsaid. Yet, the emotional stakes are high, and the next chapter will likely explore how they confront the ghosts of their shared history while grappling with their own personal growth and the new lives they’ve tried to build apart.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
