Recovery, Elena learned, was not a straight line.Some mornings she woke up feeling almost whole—steady legs, clear thoughts, breath that did not catch when she stood too quickly. Other mornings, the world tilted the moment she opened her eyes, and the ceiling above her felt unfamiliar, as if she had woken up in someone else’s life.On those mornings, Holden was always there.Not sleeping.Watching.He sat in the armchair near the window, jacket folded beside him, phone face-down on the table. When she stirred, his head lifted instantly, eyes sharp as if he’d been awake for hours.“How do you feel?” he asked every time.Not good morning.Not did you sleep.Just that.“I’m fine,” Elena answered out of habit.Holden never accepted it.He crossed the room, checking her pulse, her temperature, the faint bruise on her wrist that had almost faded. He adjusted the pillows even when she hadn’t asked, opened the curtains a precise amount, poured water and set it within reach.She watched him q
Last Updated : 2025-12-22 Read more