94. THE SILENT PROTECTOR

~ETHAN

I staggered out of the hospital room, my vision swimming and my head pounding. But I didn't stop. Every step was agony to my limbs, and I was sure the pain was going to rip me out from inside.

But I continued to walk.

I had ruined everything. Memories of how I acted that day played over and over in my head, so frequently that I thought I was going to lose my mind.

I wanted to scream, to shake myself out of the pain. But I didn't. Doing that would only draw attention to me, and I really needed to get to Ruby.

To salvage the situation.

But if I let out this scream of horror and pain that was building in me, they would detain me and stop me from going to Ruby, so I swallowed it.

Gritting my teeth in pain and dizziness, I made it to a side door that led outside the hospital.

A cab pulled up as soon as I managed to drag myself to the sidewalk, and I stumbled inside.

“The.. River…Riverstone's Villa, please,” I gasped in short breaths as I spoke, and the cab man