ELLIE
The door is still swinging when I let the breath out. My shoulders go down with it. I stand in the middle of the room with the manual pressed to my chest and listen to his footsteps get smaller down the corridor until there’s nothing left of them.
I sit on the edge of the bed and set the book beside me. Closing my eyes, I press two fingers into each temple, pushing until I see color behind my eyelids.
My hands are still going. I curl them into the blanket to make them stop.
The door opens.
“Ellie.”
I don’t lift my head.
“What’s wrong?”
I hear him cross the room, then he drops in front of me, one knee touching the floor until his face is level with mine. His hand comes up and gently pushes my hair back from my temple. His palm settles along my jaw, warm against the side of my
