ALEX

Alone in the waiting room, I sink into a chair, the weight of my emotions crashing over me like a tidal wave. Guilt, fear, and helplessness wash over me in relentless waves, threatening to drown me in their depths. But amidst the darkness, one thing remains clear—I'll never stop fighting for Zoe, for us, no matter the odds stacked against us.

Tears blur my vision as I struggle to contain the flood of emotions overwhelming me. Leah's attempt to comfort me only intensifies my anguish, and I instinctively push her hand away.

It's gonna be alright, she's going to be fine, Alex, calm down," Leah's voice is soothing, but it does little to ease the guilt gnawing at me. "Zoe's the only one I want touching me, hope you understand. Thanks though," I say, a bit awkwardly, as I gently move Leah's hand away. She nods, sympathy evident in her eyes, getting the unspoken message behind my words.

But the guilt weighs heavy on me. "It's all my fault," I confess, my voice trembling with remorse. "I should have protected her, but I failed. I should have known she wouldn't move away. I should have pushed her to the side. I should've known it's all my fault, everything is my fault."

My words are choked with tears as I reflect on my lack of belief in Zoe when she desperately tried to prove her innocence. "She never cheated on me," I admit with a heavy heart. "I regret every harsh word I said to her. I felt like killing myself for how much I hurt her. I shouldn't have believed what Peter said. What would he have known anyway?"

Leah's question about our past relationship catches me off guard, and I realize she hadn't shared that with her friends. "Well, yeah, we did for almost three months," I confess, my voice breaking. "Until Peter came and accused her of cheating on me with another guy. I yelled at her so badly, even though she kept saying she didn't. I only found out recently that everything he said was lies. I beat the crap out of him when I learned the truth."

Leah's shock is palpable, but I feel it's time for her friends to know the truth. "Now that's all in the past," leah says, her voice trembling with emotion. "And I'm pretty sure she wouldn't have said no if you had apologized. She hadn't gotten over you, even though she dated a few guys after your breakup."

Leah's inadvertent disclosure about Zoe's post-breakup dating life hits me like a ton of bricks. A surge of possessiveness courses through me, mingling with sadness, anger, and desperation. I want to lash out at whoever dared to touch her, to protect her from any harm.

"She dated someone else after our breakup??" The words catch in my throat, my voice strained with disbelief and a pang of possessiveness. It feels like a punch to the gut. The thought of Zoe with anyone else ignites a fierce protectiveness within me, a primal urge to shield her from anyone who might hurt her, touch her.

Leah's response only deepens my turmoil. "Yeah, she dated quite a few people in January, but it didn't last more than a week, heck, a day too," she explains casually, unaware of the storm raging within me. "So, you still have your chance to talk to her after this, yeah?"

I can't bring myself to respond. As the image of Zoe lying in my arms, blood staining her clothes, her life hanging in the balance, overwhelms me. I cover my face with my hand, unable to contain the flood of emotions washing over me. The tears come harder now, a mixture of sorrow, anger, possessiveness, and desperation. All I can do is cling to the hope that she'll wake up, that she'll be okay, that I'll have the chance to make things right.