The air in the hospital felt cold. Too cold.
Machines beeped quietly in the background, and every sound made Aria's heart ache even more.
She stood by the doctor's office door, her hands trembling as she waited.
When the door opened, Dr. Williams stepped out, his expression heavy.
"Are you his girlfriend?" he asked softly.
Aria nodded weakly, tears already falling. "Yes… yes, I am. Please, tell me he'll be okay."
The doctor sighed, taking off his glasses. "The substance he ingested worsened his condition. His liver was already fragile — this pushed it too far. He's stable for now, but the next few days will be critical."
Her heart shattered. The world around her blurred.
"I'm sorry, miss," the doctor added quietly. "We're doing everything we can."
He left her standing there, frozen.
Moments later, she heard rushed footsteps behind her — voices, panicked and crying.
When she turned, she saw them.
A woman with the same gray eyes as Ethan's — tears streaming down her face.
A younger girl clutching a teddy bear, sobbing, "Mom, is Ethan going to die?"
Behind them came his guardian, his voice cracking as he spoke to the nurse.
Aria had never seen them before, but she knew instantly.
His family.
She couldn't move.
She just watched them through watery eyes, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
The reality hit her like a storm. Ethan wasn't just her love — he was someone's son, someone's brother, someone's whole world.
She turned and ran outside.
The sky was gray, heavy with clouds that looked ready to break any second.
Aria fell to her knees on the wet grass, her hands covering her face.
"Please, God…" she whispered through tears. "Don't take him away from me. Don't take him from them. He doesn't deserve this. Punish me instead, just not him."
She looked up at the sky, her tears mixing with the drizzle that had started to fall.
"Please… I love him," she cried, her voice breaking. "I didn't even know what love was until I met him. I made him cry, I made him hate me — but he still made me better. Please don't take him away. Please…"
Her voice grew weaker with every word.
Memories rushed in — the first time she saw him, how calm he always was, the way he smiled when she brought him food, how his touch made her feel safe.
The kiss.
That one kiss that changed everything.
Her chest tightened painfully. Her head spun.
"Ethan…" she whispered faintly, clutching her heart. "Please don't leave me."
Then everything went dark.
A nurse rushing outside for a phone call saw her collapse on the grass.
"Someone get a stretcher!" she yelled.
Within seconds, they carried Aria back into the hospital — her hands still gripping the air as if reaching for someone who was no longer there.