Williams hand tightened around her trembling frame. The rain had increased and now drumming against his back. “Camellia!” His voice broke, raw with panic.
Her eyes fluttered, unfocused, her breath shallow. He felt the fragility of her body against his chest, like holding something too fragile to exist in such a harsh world.
“No, no….” His words tumbled out, desperate.
He shoved the car door open and pulled her inside, slamming the door shut against the roar of the storm. Droplets clung to her lashes, sliding down her pale cheeks as though the rain itself wept for her. He yanked off his jacket, bare chest slick with rain, and wrapped the coat around her small body.
Her head slumped against the seat. And for a terrifying second, he thought he’d lost her.
his chest clenched until she le
