“Lila?” I heard Jonathan calling out to me since I hadn’t listened to Dominic’s warning. But the moment I read the doctor’s text, panic surged within me. I began to blame myself for everything—the moment when I had screamed at her, telling her she might eventually die of liver damage because of the way she drank and smoked, moments when I ought to help her with her addictions, but I flatly ignored her. The rate at which my heart was beating increased, and the surrounding air became frozen. I staggered backward as my vision became blurred.
“I think something is wrong with her,” Brian said as he held onto my right arm, preventing me from falling. I couldn’t see his face, but I could hear his voice. I held onto my chest, unable to phantom the heavy knot tied around my heart, I groaned in p
