𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐕𝐨𝐰𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟒𝟗

ZADE

Nine more days.

That's what her note said. "Ten days, please, Zade." I've replayed it in my head so many times now it's burned into my brain. Ten days of waking up to an empty bed. Ten days of not hearing her voice, not seeing her smile. I've got nine more of them to go, and I don't know how the fuck I'm supposed to survive it.

I can still feel the cold spot next to me where she used to sleep. It's like a permanent reminder that she's gone. And I've got no one to blame but myself.

The worst part? She's out there somewhere, hurting, and I can't do anything about it. I don't even know where the hell she is. That drives me insane. Knowing she's suffering because of me, and I can't fix it.

I lean back in my chair, staring at the ceiling like it's going to give me some kind of answer. But there's nothing. No answers. No peace.

My phone buzzes on the desk, pulling me out of my thoughts. For a split second, I hope it's her. But of course, it's not. It's Atlas.

You holding up?

I stare at the message for a moment before typing back. Barely.

There's a pause before he replies. You know where she is?

I don't even bother replying to that. If I knew where she was, I wouldn't be sitting here in this fucking office, counting down the days like a goddamn prisoner. I'd be wherever she is, fixing this. Or at least trying to.

My fingers twitch, tempted to send a dozen more texts, to tell him how lost I feel without her. But what good would that do? I'm the one who screwed this up. I'm the one who kept that secret, and now I'm paying the price.

Nine more days.

I run my hand through my hair, frustrated. This isn't me. I'm not the guy who waits around, helpless. I'm the guy who takes action, who gets shit done. But for her... I have to wait. I have to give her what she asked for, no matter how much it kills me.

I grab my phone and scroll through our old messages. Every picture, every stupid joke, every "I love you." It all feels so far away now, like it belonged to another lifetime. A lifetime where I hadn't royally fucked everything up.

I can't stop wondering what she's thinking. Is she regretting leaving? Is she missing me like I miss her? Or is she so angry that she's planning to leave for good?

That thought alone makes my chest tighten. She can't leave. I can't let her. But I also can't force her to stay.

Fuck.

Nine more days.

How the hell am I supposed to last that long without her?

I stare at my phone, willing it to buzz, to light up with her name. Something. Anything. But all I get is silence. It feels like a punch to the gut every time.

I should've told her the truth from the start. Maybe then she wouldn't have left. Maybe we'd be lying in bed together right now, tangled up in each other, and I wouldn't be sitting here alone, counting down the days like a fucking idiot.

I slam my fist on the desk, the sound echoing through the empty room.

How did it come to this?

I think back to that night, the way her eyes filled with hurt when I told her. The way her voice trembled when she said she needed time. She doesn't know how much that killed me, hearing her say she needed space from me. From us.

We're supposed to be each other's everything. And now... I'm not even sure if she'll come back.

The worst part is, I can't even blame her. She's right. I knew all along. I had the chance to prepare, to ease into this, while she had to face it head-on without warning. I should've told her sooner. But I was selfish. I didn't want to risk losing her, so I kept it to myself, hoping I'd never have to deal with the fallout.