MARCO'S POV

When the call came in about Xavier’s accident, I was shocked beyond words. The words barely registered at first—“severe accident,” “hospitalized,” “unconscious.” I just sat there at my desk, phone pressed against my ear, trying to make sense of it. Xavier? The Xavier I spoke to less than twenty-four hours ago? The guy who always laughed as he teased me about always being “too serious” during meetings?

It didn’t seem real.

Two days ago, after that tense ...