Chapter 50. The First Thing She Saw

Her lips. They moved.

I swear to God, they just moved, my heart leapt for joy.

It was nothing, barely a puff of air, just a whisper that was so soft but it was my name.

I know it was.

The sound didn’t even have to be loud. It shot straight through my ribs and it made all the pain I was feeling vanished quickly.

“Lila?”

Come on. Say something. I leaned in, my own breath stuck in my throat.

Her eyebrows just… pulled together. A tiny bit, like her body was trying to power on but couldn’t find the switch.

The monitor beeped. A little faster now. Not a crash, just

a change, a small shift, like her heart heard me and was trying to fight its way back.

My hand squeezed hers. “Lila, it’s me,” I said, my voice probably too rough. “I’m right here. C’mon.”

Nothing. But then—a twitch. Her fingers moved in my hand again.

Oh, God. The burn in my throat got worse.

She’s coming back. She’s coming back to me. I could feel i