LOGINAIDEN'S POV Time passed, and with it came change.The day it happened was quiet. Riley had been restless all morning. Shifting, pausing, breathing a little heavier than usual.“You okay?” I asked, watching her carefully.She nodded, then shook her head. “I don’t know.”That was enough to put me on edge. “Riley.”She froze slightly. “Aiden…”The way she said my name, that was it. That was all I needed.“We’re going to the hospital.”“I think…”“We’re going now.”Everything after that blurred.The drive, the voices, movement, urgency.It all blended into one continuous moment of tension and anticipation.But one thing stayed clear. Her hand in mine, tight and unrelenting.“I’m here,” I kept saying. “I’m right here.”And I was. Every second, every breath, every moment.Labor wasn’t easy, It never is. But this was something else.Because it wasn’t just physical. It was emotional, mental and every push carried more than pain.It carried fear, memory, loss and hope. All tangled together i
AIDEN’S POVThere are nights that don’t end when the sun rises.Nights that stay with you, lingering in your chest and settling in your bones. Refusing to leave no matter how many hours pass.This was one of them.Riley hadn’t said much since the baby shower, not in words..But something had shifted.She wasn’t drowning the way she had been before but she wasn’t steady either. She was in between.And I had learned quickly that in-between spaces were the most dangerous.Because that’s where people either begin to heal or fall apart again.She sat on the edge of the bed, her fingers resting lightly over her stomach.A habit now. Instinctive and protective. Her gaze was distant, not empty. Just somewhere else.“You’re thinking again.” My voice was soft as I leaned against the doorway.She didn’t look at me immediately. “I don’t know how to stop.”I walked over carefully, like approaching something delicate.“You don’t have to stop,” I said. “You just have to not let it consume you.”“That
CLAIRE’S POVGrief has a way of overstaying its welcome. Not in the loud, obvious way people expect. Not always tears or breakdowns.Sometimes it’s quieter than that. It lingers and sits in the corner of the room.It follows you into every moment and slowly drains the color out of everything you used to love.And Riley, she was fading.“She didn’t eat again.”I didn’t look away from the window as I spoke.Aiden stood behind me, silent for a moment. “I know.”Three simple words, heavy and defeated.That scared me more than anything, because Aiden wasn’t the kind of man who gave up easily.“She barely sleeps,” I continued. “And when she does, she wakes up crying.”His jaw tightened. “I know.”“She doesn’t talk unless someone forces her to.”“I know, Claire.”I turned this time, finally facing him. “Then do something.”The words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t take them back because watching Riley like this. It was unbearable.“What do you want me to do?” he asked quietl
RILEY’S POVThere are moments in life that don’t feel real while they’re happening.Moments where everything slows down, where sound fades, time stretches, and your body moves but your mind doesn’t quite catch up.And then later, much later. It hits you all at once, like a wave you didn’t see coming.Like something that was always going to break you just didn’t know when.“Get in the car.” Ethan’s voice cut through the air like something sharp, unfamiliar.I didn’t move.“I’m not going anywhere with you.”His jaw tightened. “You don’t really have a choice.”“I do.” I insisted stubbornly.“You don’t.”My heart pounded hard against my chest, my hand instinctively pressing against my stomach. Protective and desperate.“Ethan, stop this,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “Whatever you think this is, it’s not going to fix anything.”He laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I’m not trying to fix anything.”That was worse.“I’m ending it.”My breath caught. “What does that even mean
RILEY’S POVHospitals had a smell. The kind that clung to your skin and settled in your chest, making everything feel heavier than it already was.I hated it. Not because of what it was, but because of what it reminded me of. Loss, fear, waiting.I stood just outside the ward door, my fingers curling slightly against my palm as I tried to steady myself.“You don’t have to go in if you’re not ready.” Aiden’s voice was quiet beside me.Like he was afraid even sound could break me right now.I shook my head. “I want to.”And I meant it. Because this wasn’t something I wanted to run from, not anymore.I pushed the door open slowly and stepped inside.She looked smaller, that was the first thing I noticed. Not physically but in presence.Like the strength she usually carried had been softened by something deeper.Her eyes found mine almost immediately. And for a moment, something flickered there.“Riley,” she said softly.I swallowed. “Hi.”Aiden stayed by the door, giving us space but clo
CLAIRE’S POVGrief makes people do strange things.Some people cry until there’s nothing left in them. Some go quiet, like if they make one wrong sound, everything will collapse.And some people… they smile. Not because they’re okay, but because they don’t know what else to do.Riley was the third kind, and it terrified me.“She’s fine.”I turned slowly, staring at Aiden like he had just said something incredibly stupid.“She’s not fine.”He didn’t argue, he didn’t even try to because he knew better.“She hasn’t cried since the funeral,” I continued, folding my arms. “Not the way she needs to.”“She cried.”“That wasn’t enough.” I sighed.There was a sharpness in my voice I didn’t bother hiding, because this wasn’t something to sugarcoat.“She’s holding everything in,” I added. “And if she keeps doing that, it’s going to break her.”Aiden exhaled slowly, running a hand through his hair. “What do you suggest?”“I’m taking her out.”He frowned slightly. “Out?”“Yes. Away. Somewhere that
Riley’s POVI couldn’t stay any longer in that house and left immediately, because being there was like a weight pressing down heavily on me. Sophia loved Ethan; she adored him, cared for him, she had always wanted to be with him, and he did the same for her. Whereas I, who had been doing more th
Riley’s POVI waved Claire goodbye with a shaky smile; her warm arms still lingered around me from the big hug she gave me before she left. Her words echoed in my mind: ‘You deserve someone who chooses you.’ It was the kind of thing only she could say to me, and I’ll believe her, even for just a
Riley’s POVI parked my car in front of my parents’ mansion, not wanting to go in. They had always despised me and treated me like an outcast in the family. Back as a kid, I hated myself and hated them. I’d wished to be normal, a normal girl who has loving friends and family, who will always cheri
Adrian’s POVI wasn’t supposed to be at the hospital this morning. If the board meeting hadn’t been pushed back an hour, I would have been on my way to the office, not rushing through the hospital parking lot, juggling my phone and car keys.But life always had a funny way of throwing you off.I ha







