Nolan POV
I stood in the hallway, struggling to calm the racing of my heart and the burning sensation behind my eyes. Crying in front of Ellie wasn’t an option—she was the victim here. I had no right to let my emotions get in the way of her recovery.
I owed her space to process what was happening. She wouldn’t be able to do that with me hovering over her. I was probably the last person in the world she wanted to see right now.
Besides, she had Cassian and Lance, and I knew Rae would be back soon. It wasn’t as though I was leaving her all alone.
All of those justifications went through my mind, but deep down I knew that the truth was I couldn’t stand to face her right now. This was a tragedy and it was all my fault. For the second time in my life, my selfishness had cost the lives of
