“I saved you for me,” she whispered. “Because if I hadn’t… I wouldn’t have been able to live with it.”

For the first time in a long while, there was no need for words.

Nathan was holding onto her sleeve with a grip that trembled slightly—like a child afraid of letting go.

“Don’t you ever put your life in danger to save me,” he said quietly, his voice raw and breaking. “Promise me that.”

They both fell silent, staring at each other in the soft glow of the room, the ...