MELISSA’S POV

The hospital room felt colder at night. Maybe it was just me, or maybe it was the silence that made it unbearable. The machines hummed in rhythm, keeping Xavier alive while he lay motionless. I stayed by his side longer than I intended, but when the clock struck midnight, I knew I couldn’t leave. My body was exhausted, my eyes heavy, but my heart wouldn’t let me walk away.

So, I curled up on the visitor’s bed in the corner, hugging the thin hospital blanket around ...