Blueprints of the Heart: A College Romance

The smell of antiseptic filled the room. Alex Zafra stared at the white ceiling above him, the steady beep of the monitor the only proof that time was still moving. His shoulder throbbed with every breath he took. Wrapped tightly in bandages, he couldn’t even remember being placed. Minor accident, they said. But accidents didn’t leave unanswered questions. He closed his eyes, and the memory replayed— The sound of metal snapping, The sudden weight crashing down, The way the world spun before everything went dark. And then… her voice. “Alex!” His jaw tightened. He wasn’t supposed to be there that day. He wasn’t supposed to look twice at the site. And he definitely wasn’t supposed to notice the things that didn’t add up. Yet here he was—lying in a hospital bed, injured, silent… and suddenly very aware that someone didn’t want him asking questions. A shadow moved outside the glass door. Alex opened his eyes just as a figure paused, watching him from the hallway. Their eyes met for only a second before the person turned away. His chest tightened. This wasn’t just about a construction accident. And somehow— Without meaning to— He had pulled someone else into it. Someone who cared too much. Someone who refused to walk away. Mia… Alex exhaled slowly, a single thought settling heavily in his mind: If he had stayed quiet, none of this would have happened. But it was already too late.