"Ethan!"
The scream tore from my lips before I could hold it back, the visceral panic surging through me like a shockwave. I surged to my feet, the throbbing pain in my head momentarily dulled by the urgency that propelled me forward. My heart raced, each beat echoing the sheer desperation I felt as I rushed to his side.
"No, no, no," I whispered, each syllable a plea as terror gnawed at my insides like a ravenous beast. Kneeling beside him, I gently cradled his head in my lap, my hands trembling uncontrollably as I pushed his hair away from his forehead. And then, I felt it.
The soft rise and fall of his chest. A shaky breath escaped me, one I hadn't realized I was holding in. He was alive—thank the heavens above, he was alive.
