The world came back slowly—first, the sound of a beeping monitor. Then the warmth of sunlight brushing against my skin.
And then… him.
Rylan.
His fingers were laced gently with mine, his head resting against the side of my hospital bed. His
The world came back slowly—first, the sound of a beeping monitor. Then the warmth of sunlight brushing against my skin.
And then… him.
Rylan.
His fingers were laced gently with mine, his head resting against the side of my hospital bed. His eyes fluttered open the moment I stirred, as if he had been waiting for this very moment for years. Maybe, in a way, he had.
"You're awake," he whispered, his voice trembling with relief, disbelief, and something deeper—something raw. "Ava…"
I wanted to smile. I wanted to tell him I was okay. But the truth was—I wasn't. I was broken in ways I hadn't even begun to understand.
"How long…?" My voice cracked, my throat dry and unfamiliar.
He hesitated. "Ten years."
The words felt like a punch to the chest. I blinked rapidly, trying to absorb the weight of it.
Ten years.
My fingers clutched his tighter. "You stayed?"
Rylan looked down, a soft blush coloring his cheeks. "Every day I could. I told myself... if you ever woke up, I wanted you to see a familiar face first. I wanted it to be me."
Tears welled in my eyes. I remembered moments. Flashes. Damien's smile. His accusations. His absence.
And Rylan... always there. His laughter. His kindness. His voice reading me books when I couldn't hear. His warmth, surrounding me even in silence.
He never gave up on me.
"I pushed you away so many times," I whispered, voice cracking. "And you still stayed."
Rylan shrugged softly, a sad smile on his lips. "Love doesn't keep score."
That broke me. Not out of sadness, but because I had been so blind. I had chased something that shattered me… while the person who could've held me together was right in front of me all along.
"Where's… Damien?" I finally asked, barely able to say his name.
Rylan's jaw clenched. "His father came the night you slipped into the coma. Took him away. Canada, I think. He didn't even come back."
My heart twisted. Part of me had hoped... just a visit. Just a note. But there had been nothing.
"He left," I muttered, more to myself than to Rylan. "He left when I needed him the most."
There was anger now. And hurt. But mostly, there was clarity.
The boy I had once fallen for was gone. But the boy in front of me—the man now—had waited a decade. For me.
A tear rolled down my cheek.
"Rylan," I whispered, "thank you. For loving
The world came back slowly—first, the sound of a beeping monitor. Then the warmth of sunlight brushing against my skin.
And then… him.
Rylan.
His fingers were laced gently with mine, his head resting against the side of my hospital bed. His eyes fluttered open the moment I stirred, as if he had been waiting for this very moment for years. Maybe, in a way, he had.
"You're awake," he whispered, his voice trembling with relief, disbelief, and something deeper—something raw. "Ava…"
I wanted to smile. I wanted to tell him I was okay. But the truth was—I wasn't. I was broken in ways I hadn't even begun to understand.
"How long…?" My voice cracked, my throat dry and unfamiliar.
He hesitated. "Ten years."
The words felt like a punch to the chest. I blinked rapidly, trying to absorb the weight of it.
Ten years.
My fingers clutched his tighter. "You stayed?"
Rylan looked down, a soft blush coloring his cheeks. "Every day I could. I told myself... if you ever woke up, I wanted you to see a familiar face first. I wanted it to be me."
Tears welled in my eyes. I remembered moments. Flashes. Damien's smile. His accusations. His absence.
And Rylan... always there. His laughter. His kindness. His voice reading me books when I couldn't hear. His warmth, surrounding me even in silence.
He never gave up on me.
"I pushed you away so many times," I whispered, voice cracking. "And you still stayed."
Rylan shrugged softly, a sad smile on his lips. "Love doesn't keep score."
That broke me. Not out of sadness, but because I had been so blind. I had chased something that shattered me… while the person who could've held me together was right in front of me all along.
"Where's… Damien?" I finally asked, barely able to say his name.
Rylan's jaw clenched. "His father came the night you slipped into the coma. Took him away. Canada, I think. He didn't even come back."
My heart twisted. Part of me had hoped... just a visit. Just a note. But there had been nothing.
"He left," I muttered, more to myself than to Rylan. "He left when I needed him the most."
There was anger now. And hurt. But mostly, there was clarity.
The boy I had once fallen for was gone. But the boy in front of me—the man now—had waited a decade. For me.
A tear rolled down my cheek.
"Rylan," I whispered, "thank you. For loving me... even when I forgot how to love myself."
He smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm just glad you're back."
And for the first time in ten years, I believed I was. me... even when I forgot how to love myself."
He smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm just glad you're back."
And for the first time in ten years, I believed I was. eyes fluttered open the moment I stirred, as if he had been waiting for this very moment for years. Maybe, in a way, he had.
"You're awake," he whispered, his voice trembling with relief, disbelief, and something deeper—something raw. "Ava…"
I wanted to smile. I wanted to tell him I was okay. But the truth was—I wasn't. I was broken in ways I hadn't even begun to understand.
"How long…?" My voice cracked, my throat dry and unfamiliar.
He hesitated. "Ten years."
The words felt like a punch to the chest. I blinked rapidly, trying to absorb the weight of it.
Ten years.
My fingers clutched his tighter. "You stayed?"
Rylan looked down, a soft blush coloring his cheeks. "Every day I could. I told myself... if you ever woke up, I wanted you to see a familiar face first. I wanted it to be me."
Tears welled in my eyes. I remembered moments. Flashes. Damien's smile. His accusations. His absence.
And Rylan... always there. His laughter. His kindness. His voice reading me books when I couldn't hear. His warmth, surrounding me even in silence.
He never gave up on me.
"I pushed you away so many times," I whispered, voice cracking. "And you still stayed."
Rylan shrugged softly, a sad smile on his lips. "Love doesn't keep score."
That broke me. Not out of sadness, but because I had been so blind. I had chased something that shattered me… while the person who could've held me together was right in front of me all along.
"Where's… Damien?" I finally asked, barely able to say his name.
Rylan's jaw clenched. "His father came the night you slipped into the coma. Took him away. Canada, I think. He didn't even come back."
My heart twisted. Part of me had hoped... just a visit. Just a note. But there had been nothing.
"He left," I muttered, more to myself than to Rylan. "He left when I needed him the most."
There was anger now. And hurt. But mostly, there was clarity.
The boy I had once fallen for was gone. But the boy in front of me—the man now—had waited a decade. For me.
A tear rolled down my cheek.
"Rylan," I whispered, "thank you. For loving
The world came back slowly—first, the sound of a beeping monitor. Then the warmth of sunlight brushing against my skin.
And then… him.
Rylan.
His fingers were laced gently with mine, his head resting against the side of my hospital bed. His eyes fluttered open the moment I stirred, as if he had been waiting for this very moment for years. Maybe, in a way, he had.
"You're awake," he whispered, his voice trembling with relief, disbelief, and something deeper—something raw. "Ava…"
I wanted to smile. I wanted to tell him I was okay. But the truth was—I wasn't. I was broken in ways I hadn't even begun to understand.
"How long…?" My voice cracked, my throat dry and unfamiliar.
He hesitated. "Ten years."
The words felt like a punch to the chest. I blinked rapidly, trying to absorb the weight of it.
Ten years.
My fingers clutched his tighter. "You stayed?"
Rylan looked down, a soft blush coloring his cheeks. "Every day I could. I told myself... if you ever woke up, I wanted you to see a familiar face first. I wanted it to be me."
Tears welled in my eyes. I remembered moments. Flashes. Damien's smile. His accusations. His absence.
And Rylan... always there. His laughter. His kindness. His voice reading me books when I couldn't hear. His warmth, surrounding me even in silence.
He never gave up on me.
"I pushed you away so many times," I whispered, voice cracking. "And you still stayed."
Rylan shrugged softly, a sad smile on his lips. "Love doesn't keep score."
That broke me. Not out of sadness, but because I had been so blind. I had chased something that shattered me… while the person who could've held me together was right in front of me all along.
"Where's… Damien?" I finally asked, barely able to say his name.
Rylan's jaw clenched. "His father came the night you slipped into the coma. Took him away. Canada, I think. He didn't even come back."
My heart twisted. Part of me had hoped... just a visit. Just a note. But there had been nothing.
"He left," I muttered, more to myself than to Rylan. "He left when I needed him the most."
There was anger now. And hurt. But mostly, there was clarity.
The boy I had once fallen for was gone. But the boy in front of me—the man now—had waited a decade. For me.
A tear rolled down my cheek.
"Rylan," I whispered, "thank you. For loving me... even when I forgot how to love myself."
He smiled, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "I'm just glad you're back."
And for the first time in ten years, I believed I was. me... even when I forgot how to love myself