Telepathic Love

Chapter 8.2: First Night As Soulmates

Zac's POV

"You okay?"

I looked up to see Dylan leaning against my open door. He sighed as he walked into my room and sat on the edge of my desk. "How's Isabella?"

"She's okay," I sighed. "I think. The last time we talked, her doctor was going into her room to talk about her test results."

"Never thought I'd see you like this," he laughed.

I looked up at him and scoffed. "How would you be acting if your Soulmate was in a car accident that almost killed her?"

"You want to know what I would do?" He asked. "I'd get off my ass and go to her. I wouldn't let her go through this alone."

"Zac?"

"Let me guess," he chuckled. "She reached out to you."

By the look on my face, he understood. He stood up and laughed. "Tell her I said hi," he teased.

"Hell no," I said through my teeth as I shut my door. I heard him laugh as he went to his room.

"Are you awake?" Her voice sounded shaky and nervous. "I'm sorry. You're probably asleep."

"I'm here," I said quickly. I smiled when I heard her let out a sigh of relief.

"I didn't wake you, did I?"

"No," I said gently. "I was already awake."

"Oh good," she said, letting out a sigh of relief. "I just. . . I can't sleep and you're the only person I wanted to talk to."

I couldn't stop smiling at her embarrassed giggle. "Well, that's what I'm here for; to be here for you when you need someone to talk to. So, talk to me, darling."

I sat on my bed, leaning against the headboard as I heard Isabella take a shaky breath. "What do you want to know?" She asked.

"Everything."

"Well," she said, her voice a little hesitant. She let out a nervous chuckle and I could imagine her playing with her fingers.

"Darling," I said gently. "Start from the beginning. I want to know everything about you. Your full name, your age, where you were born, where you live now, your schooling, your family. Everything."

"Okay," she giggled. "I'm 29. My last name is Baxter and my family has owned The Sunrise Diner for almost 50 years. I currently live in Burbank."

"Wait," I cut her off. "You live in Burbank? I live in LA!"

"Oh," she said with a nervous giggle. "I didn't realize you were so close."

There was a small silence between the two of us. This was the first time since we connected that it got awkward. I cleared my throat, trying to think of a question to ask her.

"So," I said, still not having a full question in mind. "Did you go to school in Burbank?"

"I did," she said clearing her throat a little. "I went to Woodbury. But umm. . ."

"But what?" I asked. I heard Isabella sigh like she was holding something back. "Darling? What is it?"

"My senior year of high school, my dad got diagnosed with a brain tumor."

"Isabella," I whispered. "I'm so sorry, darling."

"He's fine," she stuttered. "Now. After I graduated high school, he was still in recovery and my mom was struggling with the diner. She could barely run it on her own, so I put off going to college for two years to help her."

"That's amazing," I smiled. "Wait, why were you embarrassed to tell me that?"

"It's just," she sighed. "When I finally went to school, people were so judgmental of me. They were rude and made fun of me. People didn't care that I stayed home to help my mom with the diner. They didn't care that my dad had a brain tumor and it was the roughest two years of his life. They just thought it was pathetic I started school late."

"Isabella," I sighed. "I'm sorry, darling. Those people were jerks. But how could you think that I would judge you for that? I'm proud of you for stepping up and helping your mom."

"Thanks," she said, her voice dropping.

"Isabella?" I said after a few beats of silence. She hummed, not saying anything else.

"I promise, as long as I'm around, no one is going to make you feel like that again."

"You're gonna be a protective Soulmate, aren't you?" She giggled.

"You're damn right," I joked. I smiled when I heard her laugh.

"I'm oddly okay with that," she said, her voice starting to sound tired.

"Isabella?" I hesitated. "You sound tired, darling. You should get some rest."

"You're right," she whispered. "My whole body is tired. I haven't felt this exhausted since I was doing my student teaching while working full-time at my parents' diner."

"Good night, my darling," I laughed. "Reach out to me when you wake up, okay?"

"What if you aren't awake yet?" She asked.

"Isabella," I said calmly. "I've told you this before and I'll tell you again. I don't care if I'm working or sleeping or talking to someone else. Nothing and no one is more important to me than you. Okay?"

"Okay," she said softly.

"Good night, Isabella."

"Good night, Zac."