MELISSA’S POV

I had fallen asleep earlier, exhaustion dragging me under after hours of crying and pacing, but the stiffness in my neck woke me. The hospital’s fluorescent lights weren’t forgiving; they made everything look paler, colder—especially Xavier.

My eyes fluttered open, and for a moment, disorientation swept through me. Then it all came crashing back: the accident, the doctors, the awful words I’d thrown at him just yesterday. Shame sank into me like a stone in water.

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