~Zayn's POV~
My stomach dropped. The world, which had felt perfectly safe within the walls of our bedroom, suddenly spun into chaos. The thought of him leaving me was unbearable.
"Your mom? What happened?" I demanded, scrambling off the bed. "Zayn, what did Liana say?"
"She didn't say much, just that I need to be there tomorrow," he gasped, already rushing to the closet to grab a bag.
The immediate, raw fear of being left alone, right as my professional life was dissolving, hit me with brutal force. Zayn was the sole reason I wasn't falling apart. He was the only person keeping me from checking the awful comments, the only person I could fully rely on. Losing his physical presence now felt like losing the last lifeline.
This was his mother; this crisis was paramount. I swallowed the thick, emotional knot in my throat, forcing myself to prioritize his need. I could not cry or react loudly; Zayn's mom was more important.
