A D R I A N
The storm is over, but the air still hums like it remembers. From my suite window, the boardwalk lies slick and silver, lanterns dimmed to a pulse instead of a blaze. Guests are asleep. Staff scattered. Cameras cycle through empty hallways. Only one window still burns gold, the clinic.
She’s awake.
Of course she is.
I should let it go. I’ve done my rounds, reviewed the damage reports, and sent Ethan to lock the marina for the night. I should sleep, but I can’t. Every time I close my eyes, I see her face under that harsh med bay light, focused, infuriating and alive. The image won’t leave me alone.
I tell myself it’s professional curiosity. I want to make sure the boy Selene found is stable. That’s all. That’s the line I draw, and I almost believe it, right until I’m alread
