1. PROLOGUE

We are told to let our light shine and if it does, we won’t need to tell anyone it does. Lighthouse don’t go firing cannons to call attention to their shining- they just shine

-The legend of the lighthouse

ZACK’S POV

I was shattered to hell seeing her innocent face covered with the oxygen mask. Her legs were aided and hung on the stench. In the gist of time, my one mistake had completely turned down the life of the girl who loved me and the worst part was that I had never given her a chance to propose her love. Without a second thought of herself, she had dared to sacrifice herself for me. Had I ever deserved such a pure and selfless love?  Life had never been such a disaster for me than the moments I had been living through the past months. For everyone in the town and high school, I was the cold-hearted newcomer prince charm and their biggest competitor. But for her, I was the most special being. I had no Idea why I was so special to her. But I did know that the way she understood every single pain of mine was not even understood by my mother. Now that she was Inside the ICU because of me, I had no other reason to stay alive.

It was midnight and the hospital was in pin-drop silence except for the beeping of the machines and doors sliding open and shut. There was no one other than us in the corridor. Mr. Harry was sitting on the seat blank and stupefied thinking about what the doctor had told us and Mrs. Karen had wrapped her hand around her husband, crying profoundly. 

My heart was aching witnessing their state and wished to sit next to and console them. But I my body and mind didn’t let me do so only because I did not have a bit of courage to even look into their eyes. I didn't even dare to because I was the sole reason why they were on the verge of losing their everything. Not being able to control the guilty anymore I walked away from them and saw Mike who was busy impatiently calling some people and was constantly checking his phone. Well, he was the only person I could talk to for the time being so I went to him and held his shoulders. 

“Any hope?” I asked him in a low tone.

He nodded a ‘no' and his facial expression clearly showed his hopelessness. 

Chills of being terrified swept throughout my body and my legs became numb. Did it mean we had no way to save her? No, no, nooo…there’s no way that’s going to happen. She hasn’t got a chance to live her fantasy where her prince charm will come to claim her. She hadn’t got to experience her one-sided love being a two sided one. She hasn’t even seen my love. There was no way I was going to give up on her before fulfilling each of her crazy, stupid fantasies. I wanted her back. I wanted to give her back the chance she had given me. It was time for me to be there for her and show her my worthiness, to own her as mine.  

 “What are you planning to do”? Mike was puzzled my reaction and saw a light of determination in me.

 I had no answer for him. Looking at his face all I noticed was that it had swollen up due to the crying and stress he had in the situation. Gosh, what all have I caused unknowingly???

 I couldn’t utter a single word in answer to him. The truth was that I wanted to tell him many things but everything just came to me and got stuck on the tip of my tongue itself. Honesty speaking, I wanted to yell and tell him that I too loved her as much as she loved me and I will do anything and everything I could, just to give her back the love and happiness she deserved from me and the world.

“Mike, please trust me as you had always done” after a lot of struggle it was all I could utter and promised him. There was no time for me to waste anymore and I had to act fast. So, I hugged him tightly to gain the strength I wanted to do what I wanted to and got out of the hospital. And hurrying down my out, I accidently bumped into someone.

“Oh I, thank God, I found you. How’s she?” I was stopped me from behind asking me the question.

 She held my hands in hastily with a face of mixed emotions of guilt and apology. Being blank already, I turned towards her and pushed her away to see who it was and when I saw her face, some kind of adrenaline of hatred spread across me wanting to squeeze her throat. But all I could do was to free my hands from her with a snarl.

“Stay away from her Caroline” I gritted my teeth in disgust of seeing her here, acting so concerned of her. However, from her face it was evident that she indeed was genuine this but it was too late for it!!! How did she even think I’ll forgive her so easily??? If the situation was not the present one, then I would have clearly shown her the real audacity of her. Girl you’re lucky for the day but don’t take it as a chance to do what you had been doing all these while with us!!!

“I, all I wanted…” just like I thought, she tried to explain herself and my patience was already done for the day. I held her more tightly making her feel the pain and looked into her eyes with my blood red eyes.

She was horrified to see me in that avatar and her frozen shivering body made it evident that she understood what I warned her. I let go of her and she wobblingly stood there taking heavy breaths as I stormed out of the hospital to my home.

Mom was still waiting for me awake all these time and when I reached home, she jumped up from the sofa and threw herself on me and we both hugged each other washing away all the misunderstanding we had between us. Her warm motherly hug filled with all the love she had for me was so powerful that I began to wish I had done this much earlier!!! 

“What happened?” seeing my terrible condition, she got worried and asked me in her broken voice. If she had to hear out what happened all day, she had to have a lot of courage and I had none to give her. I mad her sit down of the couch and sat with her. 

She looked at me with the tiny little eyes of her and after taking a deep breath, I confessed to her what all happened that night with me. 

Tears ran down her eyes like a broken dam and I knew how she would react and things happened as I expected it would. Without wasting another second, she landed a tight slap on my face and a smile appeared on my lips. I deserved it; hence I didn’t give out any reaction to it. 

“How on earth did you fall so weak I? Your dad hadn’t grown you to be like this. Promise me that you won repeat that hideous act again” the mom that I knew was now back and the fire I saw in her eye was the one that dad might have seen in her which had made him fall for her. Wow, this conversation was going nice and our differences were already covered up!!! 

“I, I have already lost my love now I am neither ready nor willing to lose my life which is you” she cupped my face in her hands and kissed my forehead. If this love between us had blossomed earlier, I wouldn’t have to face this day in my life. Guess everything has its own time!!!

She was in tears saying this. What I could do? All I could do was to apologise for my entire mistakes till now. We had a very emotional confrontation and then I held her to tell her about Zoe’s needs. Without holding back anymore, I broke down before her and asked her about any way to save my Zoe. Mom was always the problem solver of dad and I believed that she would have solutions for me also.

To my astonishment, mom, from what all I told her, understood Zoe’s love and sacrifices that had kept me alive. She also wanted her back as much as me. Well, the ones who had fallen in true love were the ones who could truly understand its power and Mom was one of them. She was reminded of her and dad’s life after hearing about Zoe and that was the only thing that brought a smile on her face finally.

She let out a deep sigh and the smile she had widened up. I was confused for sure but the support that she gave me was Indescribable. We began to work our brains to figure out some way to help Zoe and then suddenly mom was struck with an idea.

 “Have you forgotten about the GYT?” she blurted out in the excitement of the idea and I jumped in terror.

I was left petrified by her sudden change of topic. From where the hell did GYT pop in??

Mom moved my face to her and caressed it with her hands. She looked at me with a strange confidence and the smile she had was worrying me because I didn’t feel it to be a good one. If she was talking about the GYT, she would probably be hinting about the reward it offered for the winner and when it crossed my mind, I was appalled.

“No way..., I’m not going to take up any risk in this situation” I denied her idea sternly without a second thought. 

Even though the prize money was most suitable for Zoe, I couldn’t even imagine about taking that step. After what all had happened when I was adamant to come back, I had no courage to take a risk in the matter and bear the consequences of it again.

But then, something weird strange struck me on that one Idea. To save my Zoe, I had to do something and it was one of the ways, actually the only way possible in the meantime. Still, choosing to participate in the GYT was the biggest challenge of my life. My body trembled with anxiety by the thought of it even though my mind was filled with Zoe.

I was in a fix whether to do it or not. The Idea was a great deal of peril. I couldn’t just simply sit anywhere and keep on thinking. I had to take an action and thus decided to take part In the GYT still not being sure about whether I was doing the right thing or not. The path I chose for saving my girl was not a simple one. I had to prepare myself, mostly mentally. The notion of running on the same tracks which had made my dad a champion was discouraging me to death. What If I failed to live up to my dad? What if the decision I took in my broken state became another of my biggest mistakes that I would end up regretting my entire life? Will I be able to overcome my fears and save my Zoe or would I be losing her forever???