MasukWe step out into the corridor together, heading towards the room we’d seen him go into. “Hey,” I call as we spot Jake’s assistant leaving the room opposite. “Have you seen Jake?”She looks up, relief flickering across her face as if she’s glad it’s not another emergency.“Yeah,” she says. “He stepp
**Poppy’s POV **After the tree of death tried to kill me, we head back into the clinic for breakfast. Jake leaves to check on his patients, promising to catch up with us soon. I want to tell him no, that I need him with me, but that will only worry him and Leo. I feel fine; the chill I had last ni
His mouth twitches slightly, but he doesn’t quite smile.“Good,” he says.Good? I stare at him.“That’s not an answer.”“No,” he agrees. “It isn’t, but you also didn’t ask a question.”My hands clench at my sides, which is more Leo’s style than mine. I force them to relax.“Ronnie…”“When something
** Jake’s POV **That baby should have died. The thought swirls in my mind, no matter how many times I try to push it aside. I’ve seen enough births to know the difference between a close call and a miracle. That wasn’t a close call; it was impossible.I stand at the end of the bed, watching as the
“Poppy,” Jake’s voice calls, softer than before.I glance over at him. He’s watching me now.A flicker of unease slides through me.“Yeah?” I call back, forcing a small smile.His gaze narrows slightly, as if he’s trying to piece something together that doesn’t quite fit.“Are you sure you’re okay?”
Jake watches me closely.“I’m fine,” I insist, before he can say anything. I know he doesn’t fully believe me, but he doesn’t argue.We step out into the corridor together, and I hear a few voices drift in the distance. “Jake,” Leo says quietly beside me. “What’s going on?”Jake exhales slowly as
** Paige’s POV **We go through the details for another half hour. Mr Keating talks about documents, deadlines, and witness lists. I take notes as if I’m back in college. Ryder asks questions I’d never have thought of, and the others keep quiet, although Callen can’t resist the occasional smirk when
** Paige’s POV **For a second, I can’t breathe. Everything in the room stills, even the air feels frozen. My sister is limp in the arms of a man I barely know, and the sound of that one word, “mine,” still echoes in my head.No one moves. Not Leo, who’s standing there like the ground has been rippe
I can feel him now. Not just the heat of his body against mine, but his emotions spilling through. They’re warm, fierce devotion, and something so deep it makes more tears escape my eyes.“Don’t cry,” he whispers, brushing his thumb across my cheek. His voice is rough, but laced with tenderness. “Yo
** Paige’s POV **When I turn, Ryder is already crouched naked on the floor. He reaches for the pair of shorts draped over a chair and pulls them on, then pushes to his feet, rolling his shoulders as if they ache.His eyes meet mine, still alert even through the exhaustion I can feel coming from him







