A Thousand Ways To Say I Love You

CHAPTER XXXIII

Isabella moved through the hospital corridors with a focused intensity, her mind occupied by the patients she was tending to. The hectic pace kept her busy, but beneath the surface, a wave of concern washed over her. It had been two days since she returned from her hometown, there had been no word from him—no phone call, no text, not even a simple message to let her know he was okay.

Isabella's worry escalated as she continued to call and text Matteo throughout her shifts. Each time she hit “send,” a flicker of hope ignited in her chest, but it quickly faded when no reply came.

“Come on, Matteo. Where are you?” she whispered to herself, staring at her phone screen, willing it to light up with a notification. Each unanswered call felt like a weight pressing down on her, and the knot in her stomach tightened with every passing hour.

Every time her phone buzzed, her heart raced with hope, only to sink in disappointment when it was just a notification or a call from a colleague. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. She found herself glancing at her phone more times than she could count, wishing for a message that never came.

“Isabella, are you with us?” Dr. James's voice broke through her thoughts, and she blinked, refocusing on her mentor.

“Sorry, I’m just… a bit distracted,” she admitted, forcing a smile.

“Long night?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Something like that,” she replied, shrugging off the worry that had been building inside her.

“Remember, you need to take care of yourself too. We’re counting on you,” he said, his tone gentle but firm.

Isabella nodded, but as he walked away, she couldn’t help but feel a knot tightening in her stomach. She knew she should be more focused on her work, but Matteo’s absence was gnawing at her thoughts. She wondered if something had happened during his trip back to the city, something that kept him from reaching out.

The day turned into a blur of activity as she shifted from one patient to the next, but her mind remained preoccupied with thoughts of him. Every time the phone rang, her heart raced, only to fall when it was another mundane update from a colleague or a family member.

“Dr. Isabella, you okay?” one of the fellow nurses, Rebecca, asked as they passed in the hallway. “You seem a bit out of it.”

“Yeah, just… a lot on my mind,” she replied, forcing a smile.

Mia studied her for a moment before nodding. “If you need to talk, I’m here.”

“Thanks, but it’s nothing I can’t handle,” Isabella said, but deep down, she felt like she was barely holding it together.

The afternoon passed in a blur of tasks and responsibilities, but as she treated each patient, her mind kept drifting back to Matteo. What could he be dealing with? Was he safe?

Just as she was about to check her phone again, the hospital intercom crackled to life, announcing a new emergency case arriving in the ER.

“Here we go,” she muttered, steeling herself as she rushed to join her colleagues in the chaotic rush of the emergency room.

But even as she threw herself into her work, the thought of Matteo lingered at the back of her mind, creating an undercurrent of anxiety she couldn’t shake. She resolved to wait until her shift ended, and if she still hadn’t heard from him by then, she would reach out herself. Something deep inside her urged her to make sure he was okay, no matter what it took.

By the end of her shift, she couldn’t take it anymore. As she stepped into the staff lounge, she pulled out her phone again and dialed Matteo’s number for what felt like the hundredth time. The familiar ringtone echoed in her ear, but it quickly transitioned to voicemail. Frustration bubbled to the surface.

“Matteo, it’s me. Please call me back,” she said, trying to keep her voice steady. “I’m really starting to worry. Just let me know you’re okay.”

After hanging up, she hesitated for a moment before shooting him a text, hoping for a miracle: “Hey, I’ve been thinking about you. I hope everything is alright. Please text or call me when you can. I miss you.”

As she pressed “send,” a sense of unease settled over her. She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was seriously wrong. With a sigh, she leaned back against the lounge couch, wishing she could do something to reach him.

Isabella decided to give it one more day. If she didn’t hear from him by morning, she would consider visiting his office, or worse, asking Mia if she had heard anything. The thought of seeing Matteo's worried face made her heart ache. She just wanted to be sure he was safe.