The Space Between Heartbeats

Held Between Heartbeats

Chapter Twelve

Held Between Heartbeats

DANNI’S POV

Dark.

Heavy.

But somewhere under the weight, there’s noise.

A voice — sharp with panic.

"Come on, Danni. You don't get to leave me. Not like this."

Em.

I know that voice. I want to reach for it, but my arms won’t move.

Then: a smaller voice.

"Is she gonna wake up, Mum? She promised to come to my game."

JJ. My baby brother. His voice is thinner than usual, scared. That makes my chest hurt worse than everything else.

More noise — someone adjusting wires, machines beeping.

I can’t open my eyes. I try. God, I try.

But everything stays black.

A hand wraps around mine. Warm. Rougher than I expected.

"Hey, DJ. You’re scaring the hell out of us."

Rixon.

Oh God.

His thumb brushes over my knuckles, and it feels like static under my skin.

I want to flinch. Or hold on. I can’t tell which.

He leans close — I feel the shift in the air.

"I know I don’t deserve to be here. I know I messed everything up. But please... please fight. I can’t lose you."

His voice cracks. My heart does too.

Then, softer — so soft I’m not sure if I hear it or dream it:

His lips against my forehead. Light. Barely there. But real.

A kiss.

I want to scream, to open my eyes, to yell "Why now, Rix?" but my body stays heavy.

The world shifts. New hands.

Cooler touch this time. Fingers tracing over mine, not claiming, but lingering.

"You’re strong, D."

Cole.

He sighs — a deep, tired sound.

"You’ve always been strong. Stronger than me."

His hand tightens around mine, and for a second, I swear I feel his forehead press against our joined hands.

Heat blooms in my chest.

Then:

"You’ve got Em losing her mind out there. JJ’s been asking for you. Your mum’s running herself sick. And me? Yeah, I’m just... here. Wishing I could tell you—"

He cuts off. I feel his breath hitch.

A beat passes.

His lips—softer than I expect—brush against the back of my hand.

My heart stutters.

Then he’s gone.

More voices swirl in and out.

Nolan’s steady baritone: "She’s a fighter. She’s always been a fighter."

Mum, voice breaking: "But what if—"

Nolan again, firmer: "No what ifs. She’s coming back."

The weight on my chest loosens -just a little

Time passes — maybe hours, maybe days.

I float between voices and touches and dreams.

Sometimes Em’s sobs cut through the fog.

Sometimes JJ’s little hands grab at my fingers and squeeze.

But always, always, I feel two things:

Cole’s steady warmth.

Rixon’s broken regret.

Both circling me like gravity, pulling in opposite directions.

Both left marks on my skin that I can’t see yet.

Then, one day—or night, I can’t tell-a voice pierces through clearer than all the rest:

"Come back to us, Danni. We need you."

Em.

It’s Em.

The fog cracks. Light leaks in.

And this time, when I try to open my eyes—

My fingers twitch.