تسجيل الدخولKILLIAN POVHer words hit me like a physical blow.He had an accident.“Killian…” Hazel choked out, her small hands coming up to grip my wrists where I still held her face. She was trembling so violently that I could feel it vibrating through my palms. “He’s… my mum called. The brakes failed. He’s in the ICU, and I… I don’t even have enough money for a last-minute flight. I can’t get to him.”Something flipped inside my chest.I failed Mia when I was a kid. I did nothing while she bled to death. But I wouldn’t let Hazel go through that pain of losing someone too.“Look at me, sweet pea,” I ordered, my voice dropping into a low, commanding growl. I tightened my grip on her jaw just enough to make her tear-filled green eyes lock onto mine. “Look at me, Hazel.”She sniffed, a sob catching in her throat. “Killian, please, I need to go to my dorm. I need to find a way—”“Shut up and listen to me,” I snapped, cutting her off. It was harsh, but she was spiraling, and I needed her to calm dow
KILLIAN POV“Tell me you have better information this time?”“You got it, kid.” Mitch dragged on his cigarette before throwing the remnant out of my car window. “I told you Lilian Bennet went to school with your girl?”I gave him a go-ahead nod.“I was wrong. Looks like she still followed her here.”I snapped my head toward him. “What?”“That explains why she knows too much about your girl. My findings show she is a student here, but it looks like she’s staying here under a different name.”My hand tightened around the steering wheel. “How the hell does she have two different names?”“Money, kid. From what I found out, her family is loaded.”“The fuck? Did you find out the name she’s answering here?”“Nope.”“Then what’s the point of all this if you didn’t even find out the name she’s using here?” My voice came out harsher than I expected, but I didn’t care.“Don’t shout at me, kid. Do you have any idea the strings I pulled to get this information out?” he said in a warning tone.Neit
KILLIAN 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







