Aesthetic by mochaxskin . Check out her graphic shop, called "Grandeur|| GRAPHIC SHOP"

Dedicated to areebahafzal . Bcoz she has been with me through all the ups and downs! 🥰🥰🥰

QOTD: "What's the closest thing to real magic according to you?" 

"I am sorry I hurt you. But you know that I love you."

****

He pushed me. Intentionally.

I repeat these words like a cacophony in my head.

When I rushed to step between Ian and Nate to stop them from fighting, I thought seeing me would calm Nate down. But never in a million years did I think that he'll shove me to the floor. Again.

I fell backwards on the floor, narrowly not hitting my head, but the pain in my leg intensified.

I am gasping for breath now. I look up to see a harshness in those blue eyes that I fell in love with. Now they are scaring me for life. Making me feel like I'll never recover from this nightmare.

"Shit." Ian stoops down beside me. I feel myself normally breathe again as he gently touches my leg, but I still can't take my eyes off Nate. I see it all happen in slow motion. His anger slowly subsides and the realization of what he has done seeps into his face, tainting his beautiful features, till his expression is one of hurt and complete agony. Ian says something, but I can't hear because I am too focused on Nate as he kneels beside me, remorse evidently painted across his face. Is the remorse for real or..?

"Zara, I am so sorry. Are you hurt? What am I asking? Of course you're hurt. Let me-"

"Don't you fucking touch her, you asshole." Ian says, metaphorical venom spitting from his face. Ian's words seem to have no effect on Nate but he's looking at me with so much pain, I have to look away. I turn my eyes to Ian instead.(Because I have to look at something right now. I cannot let the tears trying to break through take over now. I have to distract myself.) He looks so conflicted as if he has seen this happen way too many times and yet he has no idea what to do. I feel pity for him almost as much as I am pitying myself for landing up in this situation. "Let's get you to the hospital. Your leg seems broken." He says gently to me.

I nod.

"Well let's get her in my ca-"

"Don't you dare come near her. I can take her." Ian very rudely interrupts Nate. Normally I would have flinched and told them to stop fighting, but this time I am grateful that Ian is taking my side. I have no energy to left to speak to Nate because I am too clouded with emotions. Emotions that he evoked in me and they are now the cause of why my soul is disintegrating.

I don't dare peek at Nate as Ian helps me slowly get to my feet. I have no more strength left to do any talking, so I oblige without a word. All the energy I had has stepped out of my body. Both physically and mentally. I guess Nate can see that because before I am even properly standing, he scoops me up and begins walking outside.

It all happens so fast, neither Ian nor I get the time to react. I am so shocked that I don't even have time to try to shove him in the chest with my arms to get away. I am just limp in his arms.

Ian shouts obscenities at him as Nate walks me outside. I don't blame him though. Because I would do that too if I ever saw Nate push his girlfriend-who he is supposed to love-to the floor. God my anger is getting the best of me.

Ian is close behind us and I can see Nate's side profile from here. His face is impassive despite the fact that I can see the worry lines etched on his forehead. As if he genuinely cares for me.

And of course he does he just told me he loves me a week or so ago, but it is hard to believe that the caring Nate I knew could push me so instinctively as if he doesn't feel concerned what happens to me if I fall. He suddenly stops in front of a car that can only be Ian's and looks at me.

That one look has so many emotions on it that I freeze. I can't help but try to decipher them right away.

Is it love?
Is it sadness?
Or is it regret?

I jump when I hear Ian's car door open and Nate suavely puts me in the backseat. He doesn't get in when he closes the door and I am surprised to find myself relieved. As Ian drives away, I see Nate get smaller and smaller by the second. And a thought makes its way to my head. That maybe the Nate I know is still there. I just have to help him find himself again.

****

The sunlight that enters the hospital cabin must be cursed. Someone has definitely opened the blinds and it makes me stir. I do not want to open my eyes but the movement I make causes a groan to escape my lips since my sensitive broken leg hurts like a bitch.

"Take it easy there, sunshine." I shoot my eyes open. Disbelief is evident in my expression. Nate is here. He looks horrendous, as if he hasn't slept all night. Yet he is smiling down at me, standing there in his blue shirt and jeans. If I take his eyes in account, then it feels like a blue overload.

After everything that happened yesterday I have no idea how to react. I stare at him dubiously, no words coming out of me anytime soon. When he realizes that I am not going to speak, he sighs.

"Look, he takes his hand up in defense (I almost flinch, because I thought he was about to touch me. The realization makes me want to cry.) and takes a seat on the stool beside the hospital bed. "I know I screwed up, but you have to listen to me. You have to know my side of the story."

"Is this the part where you blame all your misdemeanors on your parents or a bad traumatic childhood? Because if that is the case, I don't want to hear it, Nathan." My own rude words surprise me now. But what astonishes me the most is that my voice doesn't crack even a notch on the outside and my face remains impassive. Because inside? There is a storm going on.

My heart is physically hurting while looking at him, in spite of the fact that I am having so visible reaction, other than rudeness. Here is the man, whom I have fallen in love with and he has used the most epic way to break my heart. Don't know how I was saying that my heart is physically hurting. It isn't even there in my chest.

It has dislocated the moment that he pushed me down and I fell. We should love, not fall in love, because everything that falls, gets broken. I want to laugh. I never knew I could relate to this Taylor swift quote, Ever. Yet, here I am, with a broken leg, because I fell when he pushed me. I fell in love. And I can't decide if it was a mistake or a blessing.

I internally groan because I know the things I thought don't make sense except probably metaphorically. So I look away, not wanting all the bottled up emotions escaping again. I look at the window instead. The weather outside is clear and sunny. A perfect summer morning. Nothing like the cold winter storm of emotions inside my mind.

He looks at me again and is about to speak just as a nurse enters the room. "I see you're up darlin'. How are you feeling?" I muster a fake smile, not wanting to speak. The nurse is really cheerful, but I don't think even a town fair can cheer me up today. "You do know that visiting hours aren't after lunch, right?" She says pointedly to Nate, picking up a board from the bed.

He nods. "Yes. I was here to just check on her. I will be gone in a few."

The nurse smiles. "Okay. I usually don't let anyone stay but ya both make a great couple. Though I thought yesterday's guy was your husband." She laughs and I can't help but cringe. The nurse has such a one track mind. "He was so protective and caring of you yesterday, lil' darlin'." Nate's brow furrows and I want to curl myself in a ball and never see sunlight again. And I don't even know why I feel like that. Its like my emotions and thought are all over the place.

"Yes, yes. Are you done here?" I say instead, trying to maintain my composure.

"Almost done. What is your name again?"

"Zara Audrey." I say rather sourly.

"Yes darling. I know that. Yesterday's pretty boy told me. But I need your surname too."

"I usually go by just Zara Audrey." She is looks at me with a weird expression, so I tell her so that she'll just leave me alone. "Kessinger. It's Zara Audrey Kessinger." I inwardly sigh when the nurse leaves the room. God wasn't she eerie.

"Wow."

"What?" I ask, a little irritated.

"I didn't know your surname till now."

"Guess we both hide a lot of things from each other." I mutter and Nate immediately looks like he feels bad.

"Three years ago my brother had recently got married. He gave me a treat along with his wife when he came back from his honeymoon." I want to interrupt him and tell him I don't want to hear whatever he is saying, but his next words shock me. "On our way home, we walked. One of my sister-in-law's exes was stalking her. I didn't know that then. When I saw a guy literally snatch her right in front of our eyes while she was speaking on the phone, I bolted. I ran till my legs hurt and caught up with him. I was so angry, Zara."

I gasp.

"I punched that guy. And then again. It went on till my brother arrived and pulled me away from that guy. He wasn't breathing. Fiona, my sister-in-law was screaming in hysteria and there was blood everywhere. The guy was taken to the hospital. His survival was a miracle, as the doctors put it.

"The man filed the case and the court put me on mandatory therapy. Didn't work much but they were damn sure I had anger issues." He looks at me with so much hurt, my heart aches for him. "So trust me when I say this Zara when I pushed yesterday, it wasn't me. I wasn't myself. I didn't know what I was doing. And I really am being honest with you when I'm saying that I didn't mean to do it. I would never intentionally hurt you."

He looks down and sighs. His hands are clutching the bed tightly. I know he really is hurt and that it took him a lot of strength to tell me the truth. So I can't help but feel like I need to return his truthfulness somehow.

"My uncle is who put me off long distance relationships forever. We were a happy family but I saw his marriage along with our family fall apart because of a little bit of distance." He looks up at me with a face full of confusion but the edge of sadness around his eyes isn't gone. "We each weren't exactly forthcoming to each other before. You kept a secret form me; I didn't tell you about my true feelings. If we want this to work this time around, we have to be honest."

I see his eyes brighten with hope. "Are you saying you're ready to give me a second chance? You are not angry?"

"I am not exactly angry, Nate. I am hurt. But I also love you." I put my hands over his. To prove that these words are indeed true. "And I believe in you. I believe that last night was a mistake and I'm not ready to give up on us yet." I just hope I'm not too weak by my feelings for him to go against my principles. But I guess that's the harsh reality. If only I'd known...

His goofy smile is truly heartwarming. He kisses each of my fingers and looks at me with patience of an owl. "How long are you going to stay here?"

"Maybe a couple days. Ian said the doctor gave me some antibiotics and painkillers. And I will just be here for a while for monitoring. Then I can be on complete bed rest at home." I smile, because despite the fact that I haven't completely forgiven Nate in my mind, I really am happy that we made up.

"Ian really did take care of you yesterday." He sighs. "I should have been the one to do that though."

"You are here now. That is all that matters." I say in my most cheesy voice. And Nate goes back to his happy self. He leans over to give me a peck, but a peck never stays just a peck between us. The kiss becomes lingering till I hear the hospital door opening. He pulls back just in time for me to see a rather disgusted Ian standing in the doorway. He shakes his head and leaves immediately without a word, setting off an aura of disapproval in his wake.

"There goes my doctor." I mutter softly so that Nate doesn't hear and fall back on the bed. And then I groan when my injured leg hurts.

A/N: YES WE'RE OFFICIALLY ON 2K! I feel so happy and glad! Thanks to all the beautiful and amazing readers of LSH! 

But with great happiness, comes a lil' sorrow. I am a bit sick rn, so can't keep up with my read for reads for a while. So pardon me. And probs pray for me.

Anyways, I won't be surprised if some of you dislike the chapter. Or hate it even. Well, since all that is said and done, tell me what you think of all the characters now.

What are your thoughts on Nate?

And Ian?

And Zara?

Where do you think Nate and Zara's relationship stands now?

Ig this is it. Plz keep me in your prayers. Happy Reading!