Chapter 6

He held my head with care, overwhelmed by fear. His trembling hands were covered in my blood. "Callie, please stay conscious..."

But he received no answer, only the chaotic sounds surrounding them.

The emergency responders arrived and placed me on a gurney. I was dimly aware of him standing there, completely shattered.

"Rob." Caitline's voice finally snapped him back to reality. "Are you alright? We should get you examined at the hospital."

My awareness slipped away entirely, and I lost all connection to my surroundings.

In that infinite blackness, I felt as if I was in a dream. The dream was filled with our shared memories.

Our relationship had been brief, but we'd been ridiculously, overwhelmingly joyful.

He'd taken up cooking fish because he knew I adored it. He'd even secretly visited my preferred restaurant to seek advice from the chef.

One Saturday, he rose early and visited the market to purchase fresh fish, intent on preparing it himself.