The week blurred into a monotonous cycle of work and evening dinners with Alec. But Friday brought a shift: Alec met me for lunch, freeing up my evening for a planned visit to Jacob. Stepping off the train in Brooklyn, my lighthearted skipping abruptly shattered two blocks from his store, turning into a frantic sprint as I saw the ambulance's flashing lights cutting through the afternoon, parked right outside.
My heart hammered against my ribs, a cold, sharp dread freezing the saliva in my mouth as I shoved the door open, the bell chiming frantically, my breath catching in a raw, panicked gasp. "Jacob?" My voice tore, desperate and thin, scanning the empty counter. The silence behind the counter screamed louder than the sirens outside, and I dropped to my knees, shaking.
"Miss? Are you
