chapter 22 - insecurity

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Zahn rushed through the hospital doors, his heart pounding with worry. He scanned the waiting area until he spotted Amy and her mother in a nearby room. Amy looked relieved standing near her mother, who sat on the hospital bed with her arm in a sling.

Amy turned, her eyes lighting up with a mixture of relief and gratitude. "Zahn, there you are."

"Of course, Amy," he said, his eyes shifting to her mother, Alma. "How are you, ma'am? How did it happen?"

Alma managed a smile. "Some pain, but I'm good. I was at my friend's house for our kitty party. I was just heading down the stairs, distracted by our conversation, not noticing my friend's kid had put a toy on the stairs, and I ended up slipping on it. Such a brat," she hummed, still feeling anger over it.

Zahn sighed, his concern evident. "I'm glad you weren't injured badly. Still, ma'am, you should be careful."

Alma waved her hand, trying to show she was still strong. "I'm perfectly fine."

Amy cut in, trying to tease her mother. "Mom, earlier you were complaining that it's hurting a lot..."

Alma shot her a glare. "Oh, shut up, Amy," then her eyes darted back to Zahn, her lips curving into a fond smile, touched by her daughter's boyfriend. "I'm really grateful you came over. You're really a nice kid. Come home with us today."

Zahn nodded, showing a smile. "Of course I will."

While the nurse checked Alma's arm once more, Amy and Zahn decided to talk outside the general ward.

"Sorry, Zahn, I was anxious when my neighbor called me and said Mom had fallen down the stairs and was taken to the hospital. I was so scared and texted you. You weren't busy with anything, were you?"

Zahn shook his head. "No, I wasn't."

I had ditched the event, my project. But it's no use thinking about that now. Opportunities can come and go, but being there for Amy is more important,

he thought.

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"How is your mother's arm now?" Mia asked, glancing up from her notes with a concerned look.

"Almost good. She’s doing fine," Amy replied, a hint of relief in her voice.

Currently the group was gathered in the campus cafeteria after their class, talking over some topics.

"Well well, anything to say about last semester’s results which came out yesterday?" Noah chimed in, raising an eyebrow playfully.

Amy sighed, "Ah, I got back in three subjects. Zahn gonna look at me with more disappointment than my mother will."

Ruby laughed, nudging Amy playfully. "I passed this time, Amy. It’s only you who got back again. Good luck preparing for your back subjects and upcoming exams."

Amy rolled her eyes and laughed, "Don’t be so happy, duh!"

While they were sharing about their results, a voice called out breaking their conversation.

" Amy. I want to talk to you"

It was Ella, Amy's faced turned ugly the moment she saw her, what now? She is planning her tactics to get zahn away from me?

Ruby whispered, " why does she want to talk to you?"

Amy shook her head, "who knows. You guys continue I will come in 5 minutes."

Amy got up from her chair and followed Ella, a bad feeling settling in her gut. As they stepped into the campus courtyard, the morning sun cast long shadows across the pavement.

Ella suddenly turned to Amy, her eyes narrowed. "You called Zahn over yesterday?" Her tone was colder, laced with jealousy.

Amy rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Yeah, I did. But it's not your business if I call my boyfriend."

Ella frowned, her lips tightening. "How selfish, Amy. You know how important that day was for Zahn, don't you?"

"What?" Amy asked, confusion knitting her brows.

"It was a really important event. Zahn, me, and the others worked so hard for it for days. And you called him, because of you he ditched the project and ran to you!"

Shock rippled through Amy. Zahn hadn't mentioned any of this. "Huh...? I had no idea about it..."

"You know what, Amy? You’re becoming a hindrance to Zahn's life. Not only the project, but it's like his attention is somewhere else all the time. He wasn't like this before. Even when we were working on our project, all his attention was on his phone, your texts," Ella said, glaring at Amy.

Amy stood there, stunned, her mind reeling. Why did Zahn skip the important event? Why didn't he tell me...?

"If you care for him even a tiny bit, you should leave him alone. You made him miss something so important."

Amy couldn't stand listening to Ella's accusations any longer. Her voice rose in frustration. "Excuse me? Do you even know what happened? You can't just say whatever you want to me."

Amy wasn’t willing to listen anymore and turned to walk away, her frustration mounting. She accidentally hit her foot hard on the leg of the bench. "Oww..." she called out in pain, clutching her toe.

Ella looked over, her tone filled with mockery. "Can't you see? Well, are you okay?"

Amy glared back, "Don't ask now," she snapped, her voice tight with pain and anger.

Humming in anger, Amy stormed back towards the cafeteria where her friends were sitting. Her mood was dampened, and her brows were furrowed, clearly indicating that something had happened between her and Ella.

Ruby noticed and asked, "Uhm... did she say anything to you?"

Amy sighed, her frustration evident. "Yeah, of course. She passed her harsh words because it seems Zahn left an important event yesterday for me."

"Damn, why does she care? Is she in love with Zahn or what?" Noah chimed in, raising an eyebrow.

Amy nodded, feeling annoyed not only because of Ella but also because her toe was hurting badly from the hit.

Ruby replied instantly, "What? Actually, it's good. They both are nerds and suit each other. You should forget Zahn."

Amy shot her a glare, "Don't joke now."

"So then, should we deal with that Ella? We can make things hard for her..."

"Damn, I’ve let go of past habits from when I was in school."

Mia chimed in, offering relaxing words. "It's okay, Amy. I don't think you need to feel annoyed over it. It's not like Ella can do anything. Zahn already likes you."

Amy nodded, though the reassurance did little to ease her mind. Zahn loved her, but that wasn't the concern. He had missed an important event, an opportunity... all because of her text. Amy felt terrible already.

After classes ended, Amy strolled with her friends before heading to Zahn's home. The throbbing pain in her toe reminded her of the earlier mishap. She took off her shoe and then her sock, revealing her injured toe. It was covered in dried blood, and the nail was half broken, hanging precariously.

Amy sighed just as Zahn came out of the room, beaming as he glanced at her. "You’re here?" His smile faded as his eyes darted to her foot. "Oh god, what happened now?"

"Hit my toe on the bench’s leg," Amy replied, wincing slightly.

Zahn shook his head. "How careless!" He guided her to the couch and made her sit down, quickly fetching a first aid box. "You need to stop getting injured. It makes me worried."

As Amy sat on the couch, Zahn knelt on the ground, gently taking her foot in his hands. His touch was soft and tender, sending a warm sensation through her. She watched him, her eyes softening as he carefully cleaned the wound. The cool antiseptic stung slightly, but Zahn’s gentle touch made it bearable.

A smile spread across her lips. "How caring, Zahn."

He frowned slightly, looking up at her. "How come you still smile even after hurting yourself?"

"Just so," she replied softly, feeling a warmth in her chest.

There was no doubt Zahn loved her, but Ella’s comments lingered in her mind, annoying and, to some degree, feeling right. It felt wrong to blame Zahn for ditching the event, he had come over because he genuinely cared, enough to leave his own important work.

"Well, thank you. I have to go back, I only came over here for a moment" she said, getting up from the couch.

"How is your mom?" Zahn asked, concern etched on his face.

"Oh, she seems fine, but as you know, Dad is away. Although Miss kate, our neighbor, is helping out Mom right now, I should still head back." Amy’s voice was soft, lacking its usual energy.

He nodded, his eyes scanning her face for any signs of distress. "You’re right. Then, see you tomorrow?"

"Mhm," she replied, managing a small smile before walking out the door.

Zahn watched her leave, a frown forming on his forehead. However, confusion surfaced as Amy didn’t seem energized as usual. The spark she usually radiated was missing.

He shook his head, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling. It's probably nothing, he thought, but the concern lingered in his mind.

That night, Amy lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling, her mind racing with thoughts of Ella's words. Zahn's attention has been diverted during the project as well, Ella had said, the accusation echoing in her head.

I shouldn't have texted him. It wasn't something I couldn't handle on my own, she thought, the guilt gnawing at her.

I made Zahn skip an important event, one crucial for his career, even if it was unintentional.

The weight of her actions pressed heavily on her chest. She didn't want to be a hindrance to his life, not when he had so much potential.

Amy shifted under the covers, the fabric rustling softly.

Letting the thoughts sink in, Amy tried hard to fall asleep, but it was a struggle. The lingering fear of being a burden to Zahn weighed heavily on her mind, keeping her awake long into the night.

The next day, as Amy woke from her sleep and stepped out of her room, her mother handed her a task. "Amy, peel the peas, at least do this even if you can't cook. Miss kate will come in a while to cook the meals."

Amy nodded, bringing the peas to the table and peeling them. I should learn to cook... she thought, her fingers moving rhythmically over the peas.

Suddenly, Alma spoke with a hint of curiosity, "Well, Amy, you never told me what exactly Zahn's parents do? You only said they work outside the city."

"Ah..." Amy hesitated, unsure how her mother would react. She glanced at the peas in her hands, her thoughts racing. "So don't be shocked. His father... uhm, is the CEO of RMC company, and his mother is a famous designer."

Alma's eyes widened, wondering if she had heard right.

"What are you saying?! He is from a wealthy family?! And you're telling me this now? Oh god, you know rich people don't mingle with the middle class, right?"

Amy rolled her eyes, pausing her peeling. "It doesn't matter. Zahn doesn't care about such things."

"It matters, Amy! Him caring or not is not the concern, but think about his parents! They will never allow you to be in their son's life," her mother’s concern was evident in her tone.

Amy looked down, her fingers trembling slightly as she resumed peeling the peas. "Zahn told me his parents have separated. He hasn't seen his father in years, and his mother is mainly absent. Uhm, I met his mother some time ago, she really doesn't seem to care either, I think..."

"Just because you think that doesn't mean it will be like this! What if later his mother wants him to marry a rich girl? At that time, even Zahn might not listen to you and follow his mother's words."

Amy sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Oh god, mom, so dramatic. You know Zahn, he is really nice."

"Sigh, I'm just worried for you, okay? I can guess Zahn will become successful, no doubt. And you know? You don't even study, no dreams, I know your results must have been horrible too. How much time will it take before he leaves you? Do you think he will keep you forever if your status doesn't match?"

"Mom, don't try to scare me..." Amy's voice wavered, her mother's words not only scared her but also pricked her heart.

"I'm only saying, work hard, Amy," Alma said for the last time, before her eyes darted back to the television.

Amy was left in more confusion, scared of what the dynamic between them would be if, in the future, there was too much of a gap between them...