Ayla
My whole body still felt like it had been crushed under something massive. Every breath made my bones throb as if they were chiming with pain. Yesterday kept replaying in my head—those photos, Hana’s face, the argument with River, and the moment my body hit the road like smoke tossed out of dying flames. Everything was too vivid, too heavy, sitting inside my skull like a weight I couldn’t shake off.
Rhett’s voice pulled me out of my thoughts. “You need to eat before you take your meds. Let me feed you, okay?”
I looked at him weakly. A spoonful of warm porridge was already waiting in front of my lips. The heat slid down my throat, leaving a faint comfort behind. He didn’t say much—just watched me closely, making sure I swallowed every bite. When the bowl was empty, he picked up an a
