Chapter 138

Her eyes opened fully, wide and glassy, locking onto me with a mix of confusion and something far deeper pain, despair, and an unbearable vulnerability. The hopeless clarity in her gaze cut me like a knife. Then, as if the floodgates broke, tears spilled over, falling relentlessly down her cheeks one after another, endless and raw.
“Ava…” My voice cracked, panic tightening my chest. “What’s wrong? Are you hurt? I’m sorry I’m late… Please don’t cry anymore. I’ll take you to the hospital. Just don’t cry, okay?”
My heart felt like it was about to stop.