Do We Let Go?

0| Prologue

In the blink of an eye, it could all be taken away...

I pray to god to let this one single day be great. To let it run smooth and fine. To let it pass just as I expect it to.

"Ready to kill it there?", Travis, one of the closest people to me, asks me from beside me. We are both seated in my car outside the venue. Well, technically below it since we are in the underground parking lot.

I exhale. "I just need to be here a few more minutes.", I reply, feeling very nervous.

"Do you want me to give you some alone time?", he questions me softly. I shake my head silently, my eyes on my fingernails, trying to distract my mind by making out the very fine details with which I've painted them today. Well, they are certainly a very pretty sight, but not distracting enough.

"Hey,", Travis catches my attention again. He takes my hands in both of his, pressing a small kiss on them. "Don't worry about it, okay? It'll all be fine. People are gonna love it.", he reassures me in a confident voice. This guy believes in me even when I don't.

While taking deep breaths, I gather my courage, shoving the nerves in the back of my mind. "I hope so. Let's go.", I say, reaching for the door. As I do so, Travis gets hold of my wrist, stopping me midway.

I turn my head back to look at him questioningly. He gives me a warm smile as he gently pulls me in a hug. I hug him back, feeling more relaxed. "Thank you.", I whisper against him. "You've been a great support all this time. Even after everything."

He lets go of me after a while, a tender expression on his face. "Anything for you, Zara." The honesty in his eyes nearly melts my heart.

I give him a wide smile, hoping to show him just how grateful I feel to have him by my side. Together, we walk towards our destination. I take determined steps until we reach the double doors. I hesitate to go in. Dear God, I feel so anxious.

I look at Travis with a troubled expression. He merely gives me a lopsided smile, motioning me to go ahead. "Don't worry. This is your day. Your opportunity to reach the stars. Seize it."

I have waited for years for this day. I gave my blood and sweat and tears into this, endured so many sleepless nights and moments when I wanted to scream my head off just to get the frustration out.

After all the hard work, I know I deserve this. Travis is right. This is my day. It's my opportunity and I'm gonna seize it. I nod my head solemnly. "You're right. I can't chicken out like this. I'm so much stronger than that."

"That's it! I'm so proud of you."

Saying so, Travis reaches for the door. I look down at my attire to make sure there are no creases or mishaps. Thankfully, I find none. I look just like I did when I left home. I am wearing an off-shoulder, red cashmere sweater with black and white striped pants. My feet were clad in red heels. My straightened hair was open freely.

I look back up to see that someone from the inside opens the door before Travis could. Comes out my best friend, Andrea, a tear sliding down her face. Travis and I stare at her in bewilderment. Her eyes are wide and she seems out of breath, her movements frantic, even.

I frown when I notice that she is struggling to speak up.

I grab her forearm, shaking it slowly. "Andrea? Is everything alright?"

She shakes her head; it becomes clear to me that she's terrified. My heartbeat quickens. Something must be seriously wrong. It's not like her to lose her calm like that. She's usually calm and level-headed.

"It's...it's Zoya...", she finally croaks out. "She's been in an accident."

All the air gets knocked out of me as I hear this, and my heart sinks. My mouth opens and closes like a fish. I want to speak and ask her so many things, but I just can't breathe. The only thing that comes out of my mouth is a mixture of gasps and stammers.

Travis guides Andrea and me away from the door and rubs her back to calm her down. When she starts explaining things to us, the only thing I feel thankful for is Travis's hand on my waist because soon I start to feel lightheaded, ready to faint after all that I heard.

***

The two hours during which Andrea and I make a mad dash to the airport with the help of Travis and board the flight which takes us to Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. are probably one of the longest and the toughest of my whole life.

All the while, my heart constantly pounds in my chest. I sweat non-stop like a pig and my thoughts are rampant with worry and fear. I could barely sit patiently, faintly aware that my fingers were shaking.

Travis couldn't come with us even though he really wanted to, because getting a visa to the States would take time, while me and Andrea, who were USA citizens, could go there as we pleased.

After going through the customs, we urge our cab driver to go as fast as legally possible to reach the Massachusetts General Hospital. We run inside, deciding to take the stairs when the lift was taking too long for our panic-stricken hearts to handle.

I almost stumble down when we reach the top of the third-floor staircase. Ironically, the sterile and clean air suffocated me. My worst fears are soon confirmed as I heard a loud and sharp cry of a woman's wailing, with a man beside her talking to a doctor.

My knees give out and I land on the floor, my vision blurring when I see a pair of legs stop and kneel down in front of me. With barely any strength left in me, I look up and meet his eyes, bringing back memories that feel like a lifetime ago. From someone's else fairytale.

So much for a great day, huh?

Thank you for reading 💛

Hey, guys! I hope you were intrigued enough by the prologue to continue reading the next part. Please leave honest reviews. And if you liked it, don't forget to VOTE and COMMENT.

Love, Zia.