The Space Between Heartbeats

When the World Woke Up

Chapter Thirteen

When the World Woke Up

DANNI’S POV

Light.

Blinding.

And pain. Sharp, like splinters slicing through fog.

I blink.

Once.

Twice.

The light flickers, and shapes begin to form.

White ceiling tiles. A dull beep. The faint hum of machines.

Hospital.

The word lands hard in my chest.

I shift — or try to — but every part of me aches. My throat feels like sandpaper, my arms heavy.

But I move.

Barely.

Enough.

And suddenly, everything explodes around me.

"She’s awake!"

Em’s voice cracks. Loud, frantic, breaking on the last word.

Before I can even process, there’s a rush of footsteps and a warm hand grabbing mine — tight, too tight, but I don’t care.

Mum.

Her face blurs into view, eyes red and wet, mouth trembling.

"Baby, oh my god, you’re back—"

She’s crying and laughing all at once, and now her hands are everywhere—smoothing my hair, cupping my face, clinging like she’s scared I’ll slip away again.

Nolan appears behind her, quieter but steady.

His hand lands on my shoulder — warm, solid.

"Told you she’s a fighter."

His voice is rough, but his eyes shimmer.

JJ’s voice pipes up next, high and scared and hopeful.

"Danni? You can’t miss my football game, remember? You promised."

I swallow hard, the sound scraping my throat raw.

I want to answer him, tell him I remember — even though I barely remember my own name right now.

Em squeezes in on the other side of the bed, her face a mess of streaked mascara and blotchy cheeks.

"You scared the hell out of me, Danni," she whispers, her fingers gripping my wrist like a lifeline.

Then louder: "Don’t ever do that again, okay? No more accidents. No more..."

Her voice cracks. She can’t finish.

I blink at her, and tears blur my vision again — but this time, they’re mine.

The beeping speeds up.

A nurse shouts something about calming down, too many people in the room.

But none of it matters.

Because I’m here.

Awake.

Alive.

And yet—

Even as Mum’s hands cradle my face, and Em leans in to press a kiss to my temple, there’s this...

ghost sensation.

Like echoes under my skin.

I can feel the weight of someone else’s hand on mine — different from Mum’s frantic grip or Em’s desperate squeeze.

I can feel lips on my forehead.

Soft. Hesitant. Familiar in a way that makes my chest tighten.

And I remember.

Rixon’s voice — breaking.

Cole’s hand — steady and shaking at once.

The press of a kiss that wasn’t promised to be me, but still felt like mine.

I blink again, my heart hammering harder now.

"Easy, baby, easy," Mum soothes, mistaking the panic in my chest for pain. "You’re safe now. You’re safe."

But I’m not.

Not really.

Because even in this crowded, chaotic hospital room, surrounded by love, I can feel the threads pulling tight.

Two ghosts are still clinging to me.

Two boys I can’t outrun.

Em brushes my hair back, and her hands tremble.

"We’re so glad you’re okay," she says, voice wobbling. "You scared us, D."

I swallow again, voice raw as I croak out the first words I’ve spoken in days.

"Who...?" My voice is broken gravel. I swallow and force the rest.

"Who was... here?"

The room goes still.

Em’s eyes flick sideways.

Mum freezes, her smile faltering just a little.

Nolan’s hand tightens on my shoulder.

And I know.

I know.

The ghosts were real.

The touches, the kisses, the voices in the dark — they happened.

And now, I’m awake.

And they can’t hide anymore.