Chapter 40

Ariana woke up the next morning feeling as though she were a sluggish, aging laptop booting up. After a few minutes, she finally opened her eyes, stifled a yawn, and sat up in bed. Reaching out for her phone on the bedside table, she checked the time and found a message from Zach, urging her to rest. Lazily, she sank back onto the bed and drifted off again. It was a relief to be home, where she could catch up on some much-needed sleep.

Ariana slept for a few more hours, until the sound of her ringtone startled her awake. She yawned, picked up her phone, and answered Zach's call.

"You still asleep?" Zach's voice came through the phone.

"Uhh?" Ariana checked the caller ID and saw it was Zach. She wondered why he was calling her.

"Yeah," Ariana replied.

"Just calling to check up on you. Have you had breakfast?" Zach inquired. Ariana left the bedroom and entered the bathroom to brush her teeth.

"Nah," she answered.

"Okay, I've ordered some food for you, so just wait," Zach said, and then hung up. Ariana brushed her teeth and took a warm shower. When the doorbell rang, she put on her bathrobe to check who it was. It turned out to be the food delivery service, and she collected the food, setting it on the table before changing into her casual outfit for the day.

Feeling a bit bored alone at home, she thought of watching a movie. As she pondered how to pass the time, she heard her phone ding. Excitedly, she picked it up, only to find it was a message from Zach. She frowned.

Zach: Hey, how r u doing?

Ariana: Great, how's school?

Zach: Fine. Whatcha doing?

They chatted for hours, and Ariana found herself enjoying their conversation. She hadn't expected Zach to be warm; she'd always thought he was as cold as an iceberg. But during their chat, she discovered a new side of Zach, someone with a sense of humor and shared interests.

Zach: Catch up with u later, gotta go

Ariana: Okay

After the conversation, she drifted off to sleep again. It was late in the evening when she woke up. Wondering if Zach had returned from school, she hurried to the bedroom. There she found Zach undressing, revealing a bleeding wound on his back. Ariana gasped.

"What happened to you?" she asked, her voice trembling. Zach turned to her.

"Don't you know how to knock?" He answered, his irritation evident.

"You're bleeding!" Ariana exclaimed, worried. Without wasting a second, she searched for the first aid kit.

"Let me help you," Ariana reached out to touch his back, but he swiftly caught her small hand.

"What do you think you're doing?" Zach asked.

"Trying to help you," Ariana replied.

"I don't want your help," Zach retorted.

"Quit being stubborn! Sit!" Ariana ordered, her gaze icy. Zach sighed and sat down on the bed. Ariana, with determination, started tending to his wound.

"How did this happen?" Ariana asked, her tone warm and concerned, but Zach remained silent. He felt a warmth inside him—it had been a while since someone had shown him genuine concern, besides Anika and his aunt. He wanted to tell her the wound on his back was part of his punishment for failing to keep an eye on her, but he held back. Ariana didn't press for further details and focused on cleaning his wound carefully, trying not to cause him additional pain.

She blew gently on the wound, hoping to ease his discomfort. Even though Zach didn't flinch, she could tell he was enduring the pain.

"Sorry," Ariana said soothingly. Memories of Zach's mom came flooding back to him. He remembered how she used to care for his wounds whenever he was hurt during military training, and a tear rolled down his face.

"All done," Ariana announced after dressing his wound.

"Thanks," he replied in an almost robotic tone, and without a glance at Ariana, he headed to the bathroom.

Taking a cold shower, Zach pondered on the events that just unfolded. Ariana had made him shed a tear, and he found himself chuckling. He couldn't recall the last time a tear had rolled down his face.

"Ariana, who are you? And what have you done to me?" he asked himself, feeling a sense of introspection and vulnerability that he hadn't experienced in a long time.