* Julliane *
Nothing and no one has ever prepared me for this kind of pain. It rips through me, sharp and unrelenting, radiating from the very core of my being. My mind struggles to keep up, each nerve ending flaring in panic, my breath coming in shallow, trembling gasps. For a moment, I wonder if I might faint, my world tipping dangerously as the weight of his body presses me down.
"Julliane? Oh God, sweetheart.."
Lance's voice slices through the haze, low and hoarse, tinged with a sudden, disorienting fear. I feel him stiffen above me, his movements abruptly halting as the truth dawns on him. His chest rises and falls in quick, uneven breaths, and I can almost hear the frantic, bewildered beat of his heart against my own.
His head lifts, and I know he's looking at me now, his dark ey
