Dominic POVAs I made my way through the hospital, my anxiety grew as I searched for the room Nathan had mentioned. After wandering in circles in the labyrinth of hallways, I finally found the second-floor room located in a quiet area. Upon entering, a kind nurse greeted me and led me past several beds, until I noticed Nathan’s shirt behind a partially closed curtain. As I approached, I saw him holding Katherine’s hand, her honey-brown hair peeking out from under the head bandage. Looking at her pale face and fragile body, it was hard to believe that this was my sister. I felt a shiver run down my spine.Katherine had her entire left arm in a cast, a neck brace holding her in place, and another cast for her elevated left leg. Her eyes were puffy and black and blue, while parts of her swollen cheeks and chin, showing under the respirator tapes, changed her features to nonrecognition.Christ. Looking at Katherine, I could imagine how much it must have hurt because it pained me to simply

Gripping fear paralyzed me in place as I remembered the car tumbling down and our bodies following the rolling motion down the cliff. The screeching sound of metal twisting and breaking against the rocky wall still resonated inside my ears, making the hairs on my neck and arms stand up. After that, I couldn’t recall. It was blank. What happened to my friend?The room was dim, and I couldn’t see much. For some reason, I couldn’t move my neck, so I moved my left arm, touching my way along the hospital bed to find the red button to alert a nurse I needed help. The controller was usually on the wall near the headboard.My fingers fumbled along the seam of the bed liner, and as much as I tried to get to the damn button to punch it, I couldn’t find it.Someone needed to tell me if Kat was all right. I had to know!She couldn’t be dead. I did what I could when we crashed.Maybe I should have done more.Damn it.I was cursed.Everyone I loved ended up dead. I should have never allowed Kat to

Days passed, and eventually, the doctors removed my neck brace and changed my casts to more manageable ones. It offered me the freedom to move.Finally.They had also removed most of my bandages to let the wounds heal and dry out, but the scabs itched like crazy, and I almost would have preferred to keep them wrapped as I picked at them constantly.I still sported bruises in the inner corners of my eyes from when my nose broke, but they were now turning pale yellow. I was happy because Lena and Chuck were coming to see us at the hospital, and I didn’t want to look like I was hurt too much in the accident.I turned to face Kat in bed and showed her the back of my head.“Does it look bad? I have a temporary cowlick from lying down so much, and no matter how much I comb out my hair, it… keeps coming back!” I groaned, shoving the brush in my hair to make the swirl disappear.It was just the two of us today. Nate had grudgingly returned to work after Kat had furiously chased him away from h

The room was dark when I woke up from thrashing on the bed. I had unconsciously tried to jerk my right leg, and it shot bolts of pain up my thigh and down to my toes. My nightmares were now a mix of the car crash with my family and the one with Kat.I hated it.Kat’s bed stirred. I heard her exhale deeply before the bedside light opened, and a low glow filled the room.“It’s getting worse, Liv. Do you want me to call my brother? You don’t have nightmares when he’s with you.”I groaned, angry at my inability to make the dreams stop without Dominic present. I didn’t want to need him, but I was growing tired from my lack of sleep, and God knows I needed some if I wanted my body to be in ship-shape as it healed. I was also angry at myself for keeping Kat from a good night’s sleep since she had moved into the same room as me. Luckily, I was being let go from the hospital later today, so Kat wouldn’t have to deal with my thrashing anymore.“No. I don’t need him,” I replied exasperatingly and

Dominic POVI stepped outside, and the frigid wind caught me off guard, sending shivers down my spine. The gusts were so strong that my coat flapped wildly, and I had to tug at the end to keep it close to my body. However, the chilly air felt invigorating, and I took a deep breath to fill my lungs with the crisp scent of winter. I looked up at the overcast sky, watching the low clouds move swiftly and the trees lining the entrance of my building swaying back and forth. Despite the cold, I welcomed the refreshing sensation that the weather brought, hoping it would clear my troubled mind and offer me some clarity.As I settled into the back seat of a cab, I found myself lost in thought, replaying my last conversation with Olivia. I knew she was going through a tough time, and I wanted to be there for her. Olivia had been hurt before, and I didn’t want to add to her pain. Yet, I couldn’t resist the way she looked at me with her big, vulnerable eyes. It was as if she was silently pleading