Eighty-Two

Olivia Westview

I didn’t wait for the elevator. I didn’t even look back as I stormed out of the room, each step feeling heavier than the last. I could barely breathe as I hurried down the stairs, my mind spinning, my heart racing. The walls felt like they were closing in on me, the weight of James’ words pressing against my chest.

I’m not letting you go.

Those words echoed in my mind, over and over, as if they were mocking me. How could he say that? How could he keep me stuck in this endless limbo, dangling between what we were and what we could never be?

By the time I reached the lobby, my throat was tight, and the tears were threatening to spill over. I pushed open the doors of the hospital and stumbled out into the street, the cool breeze hitting my face lik……