Time Heals All Wounds By Oliver Thomas 15 Summary
In this chapter, the narrator finally stops pretending to be okay after days of silence from Aaron. Aaron only sends a few brief texts about library seats, showing some concern for Sophia’s study plans, while Sophia posts a gloomy Instagram photo expressing her struggles and hopes for a break getaway, with Aaron replying playfully under her post. The narrator scrolls past without engaging.
The day before the break, Aaron and Sophia unexpectedly visit the narrator’s dorm room. Their awkwardness and focus on the narrator’s suitcase reveal their curiosity and concern. When questioned, the narrator admits she hasn’t bought a train ticket, which shocks both Aaron and Sophia. They respond with disbelief and worry, with Aaron criticizing her lack of planning and Sophia offering a cramped off-campus apartment as an alternative.
Despite their concern and offers, the narrator firmly declines and hints that she has a better way to get home, which surprises Aaron and Sophia. The chapter ends with a tense silence as they exchange looks, leaving the narrator’s plan and the dynamics between them unresolved but charged with underlying emotions of frustration, defiance, and unspoken tension.
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Chapter 3
The persistent buzz of the dial tone finally made me give up the pretense. I let go of the act I’d been holding onto so tightly.
The following two days were eerily silent.
Aaron didn’t reach out again, except for a couple of brief reminder texts about those library seats—as if he was genuinely worried I might somehow mess things up and ruin Sophia’s carefully laid study plans.
Meanwhile, Sophia was busy on Instagram, sharing a photo from that trendy downtown café I’d mentioned to Aaron I wanted to try. Her caption read: “Feels like all my hard work is for nothing… totally hitting rock bottom right now 😞. Grateful for someone who’s been there through it all. Hopefully, we’ll get away together over break.”
Aaron’s reply was right beneath it, visible to everyone: “Gonna spoil you with all the best food over break? 😏”
A neat little row of likes and sympathetic comments from mutual friends followed.
I scrolled past without bothering to open the full photo.
The day before break started, a knock came at my dorm room door.
I opened it to find Aaron and Sophia standing there, both looking a little out of place.
Sophia gave me a hesitant, apologetic smile. “Rachel! Hope we’re not interrupting anything?”
Aaron’s gaze immediately shifted past me, focusing on my carry-on bag sitting beside my bed. His brow creased with a subtle frown.
“What’s going on?” I asked, standing firmly in the doorway, not inviting them in.
“Oh, nothing major,” Aaron said casually. “Sophia wants to get to the station early tomorrow, so I’m helping her pack. We thought we’d stop by and check on you.”
His eyes drifted back to my suitcase, narrowing as if inspecting it carefully. “You… manage to get a ticket? Standing room? Same train as us?”
Sophia blinked at me with exaggerated concern. “It’d be so great if you were on our train! That way we can watch out for each other, help with bags and stuff…”
Seeing through her fake expression, I replied deliberately, “I didn’t buy a ticket.”
Both of them froze for a moment.
Sophia was the first to recover, her voice dripping with smugness. “Oh no! No ticket? Rachel, how are you planning to get home? Even standing room’s gone? Oh my god, what are you going to do?”
Aaron’s face darkened noticeably.
“Rachel, what the hell have you been doing these past two days? I told you to book something. And now you’re telling me you have nothing? What, are you planning to walk home or something?”
Watching their classic good cop, bad cop routine, I fought back a smirk.
“I have my way to get home,” I said flatly.
“Like how, exactly?” Aaron’s tone sharpened, growing impatient.
“You’re just pretending to be tough when you’re completely screwed! I knew you were unreliable—you can’t handle anything properly. And now you’re probably going to blame me, make it all about how I—”
“Aaron, don’t be so hard on Rachel,” Sophia interrupted softly, tugging on his sleeve before turning back to me. “Rachel, if you’re really stuck, my roommate has an apartment off campus. I could get you the…”
She pulled out her phone, tapping around before holding the screen toward me.
The photo showed a cramped, dingy studio apartment: water stains on the ceiling, leftover pizza boxes, empty energy drink cans scattered everywhere. The desk was cluttered with grimy coffee mugs and piles of unwashed laundry.
I stared at the disaster of a place.
“No thanks,” I said, shaking my head.
I declined their offer again, glancing between the two of them with the faintest hint of a smile.
“My ride’s actually going to be way faster than your train,” I added quietly.
They exchanged a look but said nothing.
15:06
Conclusion
The tension in that small dorm room was a quiet storm, charged with unspoken challenges and fragile pride. Rachel’s firm stance and quiet confidence in her own plan, despite the uncertainty it held, marked a turning point in the unsteady triangle between her, Aaron, and Sophia. Their awkward visit, filled with thinly veiled concern and subtle barbs, underscored the complex web of emotions—resentment, rivalry, and a longing for control—that each of them wrestled with beneath the surface.
In this moment, the chapter gently reveals how wounds, though raw and painful, can also foster resilience and self-reliance. Rachel’s refusal to accept charity or pity, choosing instead to trust in her own way, hints at a slow but steady healing process. It’s a testament to the strength found in standing firm, even when the path ahead is unclear, and a quiet reminder that sometimes, time and solitude are the most necessary companions on the journey toward peace.
What to Expect in Next Chapter?
Next chapter promises to deepen the tension simmering beneath the surface of Rachel, Aaron, and Sophia’s uneasy interactions. As the break approaches, the unresolved conflicts and unspoken emotions between them threaten to boil over, challenging their fragile alliances and testing their true intentions. Rachel’s cryptic claim about her “way to get home” hints at a bold, unexpected move that could shift the dynamics dramatically.
Expect a closer look at the characters’ vulnerabilities and motivations, with moments that reveal more about their past choices and present struggles. The uneasy truce at the dorm door may unravel, exposing cracks in trust and simmering resentments. Emotional stakes will rise as the three navigate their intertwined paths, leaving readers eager to uncover the truth behind Rachel’s plan and the consequences it might bring.
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.
