(Santino’s Pov)The morning light spills through the window like melted gold, touching the edge of the white hospital sheets. I blink against it and stretch my neck. My back screams in protest after spending the night in that damned chair. Hailey’s still asleep, curled up under the blanket, her face half-hidden. For a moment, I just look at her.

She looks peaceful. The soft rhythm of her breathing, the way her hair spills across the pillow, the faint frown that never seems to leave her face ...