s. He held a wet cloth, dabbing my forehead with a tenderness that

with fake emotion. "I'm so sorry this happen

re staring right at him. Each gentle touch felt like a violation, a reminder of the fists and bo

ayed the part of a loving fiancé for years, and now he was p

rom the metal frame, his jaw tight, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. He was the weaker one, the one who

y bandages. As she unwrappe

ed I h

led, held together by an external metal frame of pins and rods that drilled directly into my bone. It didn't even look lik

quickly looked away, fixing my ga

, stroking my hair. "It's going to be

is grasp, to claw his lying face. But I was trapped in this broken bod

ced by a cold, hard stone in my chest. The memories of his gentle hands, his loving kisses, his promise

ards him, letting just a

ed, my voice ba

cticed relief. "Ava! You

head just enough so his lips brushed my

the words out. "Will I... wil

ew the answer. I wa

of deep sorrow. He took my hand

the damage is very bad. But we can't give up hope. You're a fighter. We'll focus on your rec

ollow promise of "hope," it was all a lie. He was dangling a future he

epping closer. He still

s gaze fixed on my mangled leg. "We'

rn back time. I needed the two of them to be the men I thought

son of their making. I was to be their broken doll, a c

out the truth. The future they were describing wasn't a recover