ALEX

Leah's urgent call sliced through the tension in the room, drawing Abigail and the others to us with worried expressions. "Where is she? Is she okay? How did you guys get here?" Alice's voice cracked with panic, her concern raw and real.

Leah shot back, her words sharp with frustration. "Why do you care, Alice? I thought you didn't give a damn about her anymore." Her voice was thick with disbelief, and I couldn't help but feel a pang of disgust at the sight of Alice now claiming to care for Zoe. The same Alice who had been one of the reasons Zoe and I fell apart.

Alice hesitated, but then her voice trembled with sincerity. "I do care about her. She's my best friend, Leah."

But Leah wasn't having it. "That's not what you said last time," she retorted bitterly. The words hung in the air, thick with unspoken history.

Before anything else could be said, Ava cut through the growing tension. "Enough!" Her voice rang out, firm and demanding, silencing the group in an instant. "We're not getting anywhere with this. Let's focus on Zoe."

But that wasn't the end of it. Yash's anger couldn't be contained any longer. He stormed up to me, grabbing my arm, his eyes full of accusation. "It's your fault," he spat, voice dripping with fury. "Why did you let her get shot? Why aren't you the one in there?"

His words hit like a punch to the gut, and I fought to keep my composure, but the tears already threatened to break free. "I didn't want this to happen, Yash," I choked out, voice breaking. "Do you think I wanted her to get hurt? Do you think I wanted her in there instead of me?" My words faltered, the guilt rising like a tidal wave. "I don't even know why it's her in there, and not me. I failed her, I should've known, I should've protected her. It's all my fault."

The words felt like they were suffocating me, the heaviness of everything I'd done wrong crushing me with each breath.

"And why the fuck do you care?" I shot back, my voice raw, desperate for something to lash out at. "If you cared so much about her, why the hell didn't you save her?" My anger boiled over, mixed with jealousy. She was mine. No one else had the right to care for her like I did.

Yash's words cut like a knife. "I care because I'm her friend, Alex. Not like you, who couldn't even trust her when she needed you most."

The sting of his words landed squarely in my chest. How dare he question me? Did he know how much it hurt? How much I never stopped loving her?

"I... I didn't trust anyone back then," I whispered, the confession barely leaving my lips. "When those rumors came up, I believed them. It destroyed me. I hurt her when I should've stood by her." The regret hit me in waves, every word making it worse. "It was my fault. I know that now." My voice cracked as the weight of everything I had done to her slammed into me. "I love her, Yash. I never stopped. I still do. It's all my fault."

I sank into the chair nearby, overwhelmed by the torrent of emotions. The guilt, the anger, the helplessness—it all consumed me. I didn't care anymore. My apologies spilled out of me in broken fragments, desperate pleas for forgiveness that I knew would never be enough.

"I see the way she was with all of you," I muttered, the words escaping before I could stop them. "She was happy. And I was happy for her, even though... even though I wished it was me." A bitter laugh escaped me, one that I didn't even recognize. "I should've been the one to make her happy. But I fucked it all up."

The flood of guilt felt like a punch to the gut. I wanted to disappear, to drown in my own regret. But then, Yash's hand was on my shoulder, grounding me in the chaos of my mind. "It's gonna be okay, man," he murmured, his voice softer than I expected. "She's gonna be alright. Sorry for being harsh, but it's gonna be okay."

Tears streamed down my face as I let myself break. I didn't care that I had never let anyone see me fall apart before. All that mattered was Zoe. And the overwhelming, crushing fear that I might never get to tell her how much I truly loved her.

"How do you feel?" Ava's voice pierced through the haze of my thoughts, her eyes filled with genuine concern. I couldn't keep pretending. I couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Not okay," I whispered, my voice barely audible. "As you can see, I'm not okay." The confession tasted like ash in my mouth, but it felt like the truth.

"I'm sorry for everything," I began, my voice hoarse, raw. "But you have to understand where I was coming from. Imagine hearing that your girlfriend did something behind your back, something you couldn't even process. I was hurt, and I was stupid. But I still loved her. I always loved her."

I paused, swallowing the lump in my throat. "The way she cared for me, her silly little antics that always made my day... I took that for granted. I hurt her for no reason. I wish I could go back and change it all. I wish I never listened to those lies."

The weight of regret slammed into me again, threatening to swallow me whole. "And Alice—" I growled, a surge of frustration surging through me. "She was never part of the equation. That was all bullshit. She spread lies, and I didn't stop it. I should've never let her get in the way of what Zoe and I had."

I felt a storm of emotions building inside me. "But Zoe—" My voice cracked as the truth spilled out. "She didn't deserve any of it. She didn't deserve the hurt, the lies, the rumors. I fucked up. I never meant to hurt her, but I did. And now, I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it right."

My voice was barely above a whisper now. "I just want her back. I want to fix this, to make her forgive me. I know I can't change what I did, but I swear to God, I'd give anything to take it all back."

Yash's comforting hand on my back was the only thing keeping me grounded. His words, though simple, carried the weight of understanding. "It's okay, man. It's not your fault. She's going to be okay. Trust me." His voice was steady, but the sadness in it matched mine.

I nodded, but the guilt still ate at me. "But what if it's too late?" I whispered, barely audible. "What if she never forgives me?"

Ava's voice, soft but certain, reached me. "She will, Alex. Zoe knows how much you love her. But you have to believe it, too. You've got to stop beating yourself up over things you can't change."

As I looked over at Alice, still sitting in the corner, her face buried in her hands, something inside me hardened. "Why is she still here?" I asked, my voice tinged with disbelief.

Ava raised an eyebrow. "Alice? Why do you care?"

"I don't," I snapped, my voice sharp. "But I don't get why she's still here. After everything that happened?"

"She's just as guilty as I am," I muttered, frustration bubbling up again.