HEARTBEATS AND HALF-TRUTHS
{Playlist suggestion: "That Girl" by Uninvtd, Saint, Jordan May}
~CHELSEA POV~
The hospital room was too quiet.
The machines hummed. Chase's shallow breaths rose and fell. But beyond that—silence. A silence that pressed into my chest until I wanted to scream, just to fill the air.
Instead, I set the lunch tray on the table and tried to smile.
"Brought you food. And before you complain—it's not cafeteria mystery meat. Zoe made it. So at least it won't poison you."
Chase smirked without looking up from his phone. "About time you learned to delegate. You were one burnt-toast away from killing me."
"Ha, ha." I flopped into the chair beside his bed, brushing crumbs off my jeans. "You're hilarious. Really wasted in this hospital—should be doing stand-up at the
