So it was never about Finland being too far. Never about missing work.

It was because the person Morris wanted to see the Northern Lights with had always been someone else.

I let out a silent laugh and wiped the cold tears from my cheeks.

Just as well. A week was more than enough time to get everything in order.

By the time I walked out with my visa and residency permit, the sky had already gone dark.

I took a cab home and found Morris and Cassandra standing downstairs.

She was trying to leave, but he had her by the arm, the two of them tangled together.

I stood there watching for a moment. Cassandra was the first to notice me.

"Regina..."

She gasped like a startled rabbit, struggling harder to pull away from him.

"Morris, let go of me. Regina's back..."

But he didn't so much as flinch. Even with me standing right there, there wasn't a trace of guilt on his face.

"What are you afraid of?"

He kept his grip firmly on her, then turned to me and said flatly:

"Cassandra's apartment has a water leak. I told her she could stay with us for a couple of days."

I looked at how perfectly at ease Morris was and let out a short laugh.

"Why not just book her a nice hotel? That'd be way more comfortable than our place."

His brow creased.

"I'm not asking for your opinion. I'm informing you."

"Regina, don't you dare—"

"I don't have a problem with it."

I cut him off before he could finish scolding me.

"But I've been pretty busy lately, so you'll have to entertain your guest yourself."

"I'm heading upstairs. You two carry on."

I turned and walked through the door, pretending I didn't see the confusion and surprise that flickered across Morris's face.

Once, at a dinner with his friends, someone had gotten drunk and asked him:

"Morris, have you really gotten over Cassandra?"

We'd had a massive fight when we got home that night. I kept pressing him about his history with Cassandra, and all it earned me was three days of the silent treatment.

After that, my nerves stayed on a hair trigger when it came to anything related to her. The smallest thing would send me spiraling, clinging to him with questions for hours.

He couldn't understand why I wasn't making a scene this time, why my reaction had shifted so drastically.

But I understood perfectly.

Fighting and comparing were pointless. All my jealousy ever did was make him miss Cassandra's sweetness and warmth even more, pushing the two of us further apart.