JAKE’s POV

“Ethan is dead.”

The words left my mouth before I could soften them. Before I could breathe. Before I could think of a gentler way to rip their world apart.

The room froze. There was silence. No one spoke.

Chloe’s lips parted, no sound.

Zoe’s fingers, gripping the blanket, went stiff.

The beep of the monitors was the only thing that moved. Its noise was louder than anything in the room at the moment.

I swallowed, but my throat felt like ...