Just One

Chapters 23 and 24

Chapter – 23 ANNA "My God, how I will miss you."

Monday afternoon, Christmas week, confused mind, racing thoughts. This past weekend brought with it an actual hurricane, turning my life upside down. The only way to control my anxiety is by keeping my time busy.

I decided to finally organize my closet since I can only devote myself to this task during the holidays. As I face my chaotic closet, I notice that certain things mysteriously disappear. I'm looking for a pair of sneakers that haven't even been worn in the last few days. I don't remember coming home wearing only one pair of shoes.

The chaos is so overwhelming that I no longer know what's clean and what needs to be washed. However, this activity temporarily distracts me from the problems I've created for myself and the consequences I still must face.

It's hard to understand how I ever allowed all this to happen. How many times have I resisted the advances of other guys, only to end up succumbing to Leeo's charm in the end? I stopped to watch our video again and concluded that, in reality, his hypnotic gaze can attract and hold the attention of anyone who approaches him.

While I fold the piles of clothes scattered around the room, my mother enters cautiously. When I tell her not to worry, saying that I'm going to make my room spotless, I notice that her facial expression isn't one of demand but of concern.

"What's wrong, Mom? Why does that look?" I ask.

My mother takes a deep breath and says: "Anna, Zack is here, and he wants to talk to you."

Almost falling off my chair, I reply: "What? Oh my God! What do I do now?"

My mother soothed me down, saying: "Talk to him calmly. He doesn't seem nervous. He greeted me normally, very politely."

"Mom, tell him I'm getting ready, and I'll be right there. Oh, Mom! I'm so embarrassed," I confess, feeling a cold chill in the pit of my stomach. I thought he would never want to see me again.

I apply a touch of blush to my face, reinforce my eyeliner, and spray on a bit of the perfume I know he likes. I change out of my sweat shorts into a pair of tidier jeans. I make the sign of the cross and leave my room.

From the hallway, I can see him standing with his back towards me, leaning on the glass door that separates the living room from the outdoor rest area. I stay in place, finding the courage just to look at his face. My heart races, I start to tremble, and as I approach, he senses my presence and slowly turns towards me. The glass door is open enough for just one person to pass through. He's standing outside, resting his arms on either side of the glass, keeping his body in the center of the opening, slightly tilted towards me while I'm still inside, in the living room.

I can't say a word, and he watches me as if he's trying to read my thoughts. I would like to hug him and apologize, but I don't even have the strength to do that. The only thing I can notice is his right hand, which has several bandages wrapped around the top and fingers.

He becomes irritated by my silence and removes his hands from the glass, stepping away abruptly. His left hand lightly touches his right hand as if he's checking whether it's still in pain. Then he walks over to one of the chairs that make up the outside lunch table and sits down. Zack pulls out another chair and positions it facing him, a short distance away. His deep gaze is directed at me, waiting for me to sit down.

I take a deep breath and gather my courage. As soon as I sit down, Zack pulls the chair hard, making my legs touch his. His gaze starts to shift from serious to angry. Clearly angry, he asks me: "You don't have anything to say, do you?"