The hospital smells strong and cold as I walk back and forth in the waiting room. My heart won’t stop pounding. Time moves like thick mud. Doctors keep going in and out of the emergency room where Ava still hasn’t woken up. Just a few hours ago, we were cheering for her engagement. Now she’s fighting for her life.
Zane sits quietly in the corner, still wearing his suit. There’s a champagne stain on the sleeve. It feels like a cruel reminder of how fast everything fell apart. His face is pale. He stares at the doors like they might open and fix everything. I’ve never seen him this quiet, this empty.
“She’ll be okay,” I say, mostly to myself. “Ava’s strong. She always has been.”
He doesn’t speak. He only gives a tiny nod. His hands are clenched so hard his knuckles look like bone. The sil
