Torn 🤎 (Completed)

Chapter 43: The Dangers of a Single Story

Author's note: I highly encourage you to watch the entire video that's in this chapter. If not all, some. It will make this chapter so much sweeter and you will better grasp it.

Mia 💛

It was Friday night, and tonight, we were going to present our semester long project to an audience of around 50 people. This project was either going to make or break our grades.

Basically, as social workers in the making, we had to help our community in some way or another and document what we did.

And, although it was a chaotic semester with me and Zane, we did manage to volunteer at an inner city school and teach students healthy social habits and coping mechanisms.

How ironic coming from someone like me.

To say that I was nervous to present was a big understatement; If my nerves were any indication, I already knew it was going to be a long fucking night!

The last time Zane and I saw each other, we were meeting up to rehearse our presentation but the atmosphere surrounding us was off.

Instead of the intense chemistry we usually experienced, it was painfully awkward; I wasn't used to the newfound dryness between us.

I craved for past days when our chemistry was so overwhelming, I could melt at the sight of his smug smile.

I missed Zane and I had no idea how I was going to fix the rift that I caused between us.

While it took everything in my power to not wallow in my sorrows whenever I was in his presence, Zane seemed to mask his emotions effortlessly.

If he was struggling to cope?... I couldn't tell.

Was he over me so soon?

I placed the thought to the back of my head as I ambled around the small auditorium to find him.

As I walked around the room, my phone vibrated in my pocket.

A short text lit up my screen.

Zane: I see you. I'm close to the stage area on the left.

I chewed my lip, overthinking how I should answer such a simple text.

Mia: Great! See you soon!

I placed the phone back into my pocket and immediately, I began to overthink my response.

Why did I use the exclamation points? It makes me seem too excited. I think my response seemed too forced and overly happy.

I face-palmed myself at the unreasonable anxiety coursing through me.

Urgh, I hated the dynamic between us now. I felt like a young, overthinking school girl about to meet up with her crush for the first time.

I shook the anxious thoughts out of my mind.

I scanned the room and pinpointed Zane's location before strolling across the auditorium and finding a seat close to him.

At the same time, I couldn't help but notice him having a full conversation with a cute brunette whose arm was draped behind his seat causally.

To the outside world, they probably looked like two friends who were simply having a conversation. But to me, I saw hope slowly slipping from my grasp.

The woman was beautiful and obviously intelligent enough to hold a conversation with.

If he wanted to, I'm sure Zane could make a move on her and she would eat it all up.