(Elara)
The steady rhythm of the monitor was the only thing anchoring me. Beep. Beep. Beep. Each sound reassured me that Camila was still here, still breathing, still fighting. I sat on the edge of her hospital bed, my hand wrapped around hers, tracing circles over her knuckles as if that alone could keep her tethered to me.
Her skin was clammy, pale against the white sheets. The nurses had been in and out, checking tubes, whispering words that blurred together until all I heard was stable for now. Those words were a lifeline, and yet my chest refused to loosen.
Because Damon wasn’t here.
The realization struck me after what felt like hours. He had carried Camila in drenched in blood, demanding doctors, tearing through the corridors with a fury that scared even me. But then he was gone
