Miles was the source of Ashton’s pain, and I silently vowed not to forget that.

I stayed close to Ashton, my breaths still unsteady. Being playful with him like this felt... normal, like we’d gone back to how things used to be. But then I remembered something—he was supposed to still be in a coma.

"How long are you planning to keep pretending?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I’m done pretending. I’m awake now, aren’t I?" he replied, ...