LEANDER’S POV
I laid Eli gently back on his bed after he fell asleep, careful not to wake him. His face was still flushed from the fever, and small beads of sweat clung to his forehead. I tucked the blanket around him, making sure he was warm. For a moment, I watched him breathe, his chest rising and falling in small, shaky movements.
A heavy sigh left my chest. I didn’t even realize how tight my shoulders had been until now. Slowly, I backed away from the bed. Behind me, I heard Jeff and Jace moving, the floorboards creaking softly under their feet.
We walked out of Eli’s room together. The hallway suddenly felt older than I remembered walking up. When we got to the bottom, Jeff opened the door, and we stepped out into the night air.
I turned to Jeff and tried to sound calm. “Don’t wo
