“Please,” Tao scoffed, subtly rolling his eyes. “You know she’s perfect for me.”

I raised my eyebrows, incredulous.

“Oh, is that so? I’d be thrilled for you to enlighten me _how_.” He didn’t waste a second.

“We like the same music. She knows about where I grew up. Her favourite colour is red, like mine.” I could tell that he was scrambling for words with every thought he tried to pluck from his head. I was wary of this man; there wasn’t enough proof he was good enough for Lina.

“I honestly don’t think you even know each other,” I voiced, straight up. “Do you know what makes her cry? Do you know about how her parents treated her? Do you know that she was kicked out of school at the age of fifteen?”

“Yes,” Tao retorted, calmly. While I initially stood with my arms crossed in indignance, his response threw me off.

“Wha… what?” My demeanour softened in caution, and curiosity.

“Yes, I know all of that.” This time, he was indignant. “We talked about it on our first date. Look, I know you might not trust me, but I care for Lina. Deeply. And your opinion might matter, but in the end, only we know what we have.”

After a slight pause, he quietly, but firmly, ended his statement.

“I would never hurt her.”

While I was hesitant before, I glanced at him with a more open-minded outlook. His eyes didn’t waver, and his stance was secure, unyielding. Although he seemed dominant, there was a level of approval I could tell he was seeking. He really did respect her best friend’s opinion, but he was adamant in how he felt about her. That certainty made me relinquish control. I decided to believe him.

And that meant I was the one who had to let go.