Ivy POV
I had never felt pain like this before. Every inch of my body burned like there was fire licking just beneath my skin, relentless, spreading. My nerves felt supercharged, raw, as if the air itself was scraping against me. Every shallow breath stoked the ache higher, made my skin prickle and sweat bead at my hairline.
Alex's arms had helped ease it slightly, but not nearly enough. The comfort was fleeting, gone the second he stepped away. The absence of his touch was a fresh stab, a loss I couldn’t afford, but I’d have clawed at him for answers if I could have moved.
"Just hold on a little longer," he said, setting me down gently on his bed.
He let go and stepped back immediately, putting distance between us, his eyes flickering unnervingly between black and blue like he was fig
