I turned on my heel before anyone could notice, my vision already blurring. The hallway seemed endless, but I kept moving, my breaths coming out in shaky bursts. By the time I hit the double doors of the hospital entrance, my tears were falling fast and heavy, soaking my cheeks.
Outside, the air felt sharper, colder, biting at my skin. I didn’t stop to breathe it in. I just ran—down the steps, across the parking lot—until I reached my car.
My hands fumbled with the keys, my sobs making my chest ache. I needed to be gone before Margo or Kris found me and tried to pull me back in. I couldn’t face their pity. I couldn’t face their logic.
The engine roared to life, and I pulled out without a destination, the city lights blurring past as I drove aimlessly into nowhere—just away. Away from th
