Sara
24 Hours later
The machines are the only ones brave enough to break the silence.
A soft, steady beep.
The whisper of air through the vents in the ceiling. The too-quiet rise and fall of Max’s chest under the thin hospital blanket.
I’ve been here long enough to memorize every one of those sounds, to count the seconds between each breath like they’re the threads holding him to this world. I haven’t left his side. I don’t think I could, even if someone tried to pry me away.
Now I know what it was like for Ivy after Ronan was shot, and she refused to leave his side.
My fingers curl around his—warm, but limp. He always held back with me, even when he was annoyed, even when we bickered. There was always strength in him, always control. Now there’s nothing. Just stillness.
A fresh
