Chapter 23

                                    

                                          
Zachary
I can't sit still. My leg's bouncing up and down. My hands are jammed deep into my jacket pockets, my fingers clenched tight, trying to contain the energy, the fear, the panic that's burning through me. I can't focus. Everything feels too sharp, too heavy. The fluorescent lights above buzz constantly, their hum too loud in the stillness of the waiting room.
I keep thinking about the fall. About the way Victoria's knee buckled beneath her on the ice. The sound of it—the sickening snap of something breaking, something fragile. I still hear her scream in my head. It was more than just pain; it was terror. She knew right away, I could see it on her face even before the paramedics reached her, that this wasn't just another injury. This was different. This was everything she'd worked for. The thing she loved most in the world.
And I couldn't get to her fast enough.
I'm pacing. I know I am, but I can't stop. I just need to move. To do something, anything, other than sit here, waiting for something I don't even want to hear.
Kris is pacing too, his face drawn tight with worry. He's been at it for the last ten minutes, walking back and forth from the desk to the chairs, his hands running through his hair, his shoulders hunched like he's carrying a weight that's too heavy. He's trying to hold it together, but I can tell he's about to crack. I can see the fear in his eyes, even from across the room.
I hate that I can't tell him. I hate that I have to keep this secret—the fact that Victoria and I are together. Not just for her, but for me too. The last thing Kris needs right now is to find out that his best friend has been dating his little sister behind his back for months. He's already scared enough, I can see it on his face.
Taylor, sitting next to me, nudges my shoulder. He's not saying anything, but his eyes meet mine, and I can tell he's thinking the same thing I am: Is she going to be okay?
I want to tell him that she will be. I want to say something that'll make everything feel better. But I can't. Not when my own heart feels like it's breaking.
Sophia and Olivia are sitting across the room, both of them talking in hushed voices, trying to keep it together for Victoria, but the way their eyes flicker toward the door every few seconds tells me they're just as anxious as the rest of us. Brooke is beside them, her arms crossed tightly over her chest, her lips pressed in a thin line. She's trying to act calm, but I can see the tension in her posture.
None of us are calm.
The door opens, and a nurse steps in. She looks around the room, her eyes scanning for someone. When she spots me, she walks over, her face trying to remain professional but her voice betraying the hint of something heavy.
"Zach?" she asks, and I'm on my feet before she's even finished saying my name.
"Yeah," I reply, barely managing to get the word out without it cracking.
She pauses, as if trying to find the best way to phrase what's coming next. "She's stable now," she says softly. "The doctor will be in shortly to discuss her condition, but I'll tell you that the injury... it's significant. We've done what we can for now, but you might want to prepare yourself."
Prepare myself for what?
The words don't make sense. I want to shout, to demand answers. But all I can do is nod numbly, trying to make my legs move, to get to her, to make sure she's okay.
She gives me one last sympathetic look before walking away, and I don't even bother to wait. I just start walking down the hall, my chest tightening with every step.