Mag-log inKILLIAN POV I had washed my hands multiple times, but I can still see her blood on my hands. Sitting on my couch in my living room, a scotch in my hand, I stare at nothing. My mind transports me back to that pool where Mia lay—blood pooling out of her head.I scrubbed a hand over my face, closing my eyes, the memories all rushing back. She was just six, and I did nothing as I watched my sister bleed to death that night.“Hazel.” Her name left my lips as I slowly opened my eyes. I won’t let that happen to you. I will protect you as long as I’m alive. I downed the scotch at the same time my phone rang.The name Mum displayed on the phone. I looked at it as it rang multiple times before I picked up.“Killian,” she said with a soft, relieved voice. “How are you doing, baby?”I didn’t answer, so she went on. “I’m sorry, baby. For that night, I didn’t mean any words I said.” Her voice cracked through the phone. “Please forgive me. I don’t want you to shut me out, please. Your brother is fi
HAZEL POVKillian dropped me home after lecturing me about eating my meals and not skipping even one, or he would come and shove them down my throat. He practically nagged me like my dad the whole ride home.The moment I stepped into the apartment, Winter practically jumped off the couch and rushed toward me.“Hazel!” She wrapped her arms around me so tightly that I groaned. “Careful!”She immediately pulled back, her eyes wide with panic. “Oh my God, sorry. Did I hurt you?”“No, Winter. You didn’t.”“Are you sure?”“Yes.”“Are you really sure?”I sighed. “Winter, I’m sure.”“Okay, okay.” She raised both hands and took a step back. “I’m sorry.”“You’ve said sorry about four times now. It’s okay. I’m really fine.”“Because I feel horrible,” she wailed.I dropped my bag onto the couch. “It was an accident.”“I know. It just made me feel terrible all over again. Did Killian bring you back?”I just let out a tired “Hmm” and nodded my head.The room went quiet. I looked toward the kitchen,
HAZEL POVI stared at him, my heart beating so fast I could hear it in my ears. I had imagined Killian saying a lot of things to me, but never this. Not after everything he had done to me. Not after all the times I had convinced myself that he was the last person I would ever want in my life.“Killian…” I swallowed. “I can’t.”His eyes searched mine for a moment. I could see the disappointment flash across his face, but surprisingly, he didn’t get angry.“Okay.”I blinked. “Okay?”He nodded, leaning back slightly. “Okay.”“That’s it?”“What do you want me to do?” A small smile tugged at his lips. “Beg?”“No.” I shook my head.I looked down at my hands, suddenly feeling guilty. I had expected him to argue, to tell me I was wrong, or maybe even threaten me like he usually did. Instead, he just accepted my answer.“I’m sorry.” I didn’t even know why I was apologizing.“Don’t be sorry for telling me how you feel.” His voice was calm. “You don’t owe me a yes just because I told you how I f
KILLIAN POVSomething was wrong. The way the doctor looked at me made my stomach twist.“What’s wrong?” I asked, my voice coming out rough. “How is Hazel?”The doctor sighed and pulled off his gloves. “She’s fine, Mr. Blackwood. There’s no major damage. The cut on her head wasn’t as bad as it looked, and thankfully, there’s no sign of a serious brain injury.”I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding. “Then why do you look like that?”“She lost consciousness from the impact, so we’re keeping her overnight for observation. She needs plenty of rest, and we’ll need to monitor her for any changes.”“Can I see her?”The doctor nodded. “Yes, but keep it quiet. She needs to rest.”I nodded, already moving toward the emergency doors.“Mr. Blackwood?”I stopped and looked back.“Try not to overwhelm her when she wakes up.”I almost laughed. Overwhelm her? I just wanted to see her breathing with my own eyes.HAZEL POVThe first thing I noticed was the beeping.It was steady and irritati
KILLIAN POVI had never been afraid of blood until it was hers. “Somebody help her!”The emergency doors swung open as I carried Hazel inside, her blood soaking through my shirt and dripping onto the hospital floor.“She’s unconscious. She hit her head.”Nurses rushed toward me, trying to take her from my arms. I didn’t let go.“Sir, you need to put her down.”“She’s not waking up.” My voice sounded nothing like mine.“I know. That’s why you need to let us treat her.”I looked down at Hazel’s face. She was too pale. Too still. “Don’t you fucking die on me, Hazel.”The nurses finally managed to pull her from my arms. I stood there, frozen, watching them wheel her through the emergency doors.“Sir, you need to wait here.”Wait! How the fuck was I supposed to wait? There was blood on my hands. Her blood. I looked down at them, flexing my fingers as if that would somehow make the image disappear. It didn’t.“What’s your name, sir? And your relationship with the patient?”I looked up. A nu
KILLIAN POVStaring at the couch that Hazel was just sitting on, I downed the scotch in my hand. I can’t get the hurt on her face out of my mind. Emotions I’ve never felt before bombarded me. I wanted to just hold her and tell her and whisper how I feel for her in her ears, to make her see that I’m crazy about her. I just fucking want to protect her. But I keep fucking it up because of my issues.The buzz of my phone snaps me out of my thoughts. I picked it up to see Mitch calling.“Got any news yet?”“Yes, kid. The person that sent the parcel goes by the name Lilian Bennett.” There was a brief silence before he spoke again. “I traced it back to London. The kid went to the same school you and Hazel did.”I stood up and went outside. Hazel could be awake, and I don’t want any misunderstanding until I know the truth.“What?”“That’s it, kid. She and Hazel were classmates. I tried to find out more about her, but that’s it. There’s no connection whatsoever that a name like that is in Lega







