Ava's pov
The hospital walls felt different now. Not cold, not sterile—just… still. Quiet, like they were waiting for me to catch up with time. Ten years. I had lost ten whole years.
Rylan hadn't left my side since I woke up.
He sat next to me as the nurses checked my vitals, flinched every time the doctor mentioned rehab, physical therapy, psychological evaluations. I watched him—how he didn't interrupt, didn't look away, didn't falter. He just held my hand, like that alone could keep me tethered.
When the door finally closed behind the doctor, I let out a shaky breath.
"What now?" I asked softly.
Rylan looked at me, and for the first time, his confidence faltered.
"You get better," he said gently. "And I'll be here every step of the way. Unless… unless you don't want that."
I turned to him fully. "You waited ten years. And you think I'd let you go now?"
His eyes searched mine, and something unspoken passed between us—fragile, tentative, but real.
---
Later that week – Ezra
Ezra leaned back in his office chair, balancing a pen between his fingers. Chloe stood at the window, arms crossed, her brows furrowed. The scandal at Blackwell Enterprises had only grown, and HR was under fire for covering up favoritism allegations.
But that wasn't what was bothering her.
"It's been almost a week," she murmured. "And still nothing from Damien. Not even a call. Not even for Ava."
Ezra didn't look up. "Maybe that's for the best."
She turned sharply. "You really think that?"
He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "He left, Chloe. Whatever his reasons were, he didn't fight for her. Rylan did."
There was a long pause. Then Chloe said softly, "I'm just scared she'll break all over again when he returns."
Ezra finally met her gaze. "If he returns."
---
Back to Ava – Discharged
Rylan held my hand as I stepped out into the sunlight for the first time in what felt like a lifetime. The hospital's sliding doors opened behind us, and the wind touched my skin like it was greeting an old friend.
I inhaled deeply. The world smelled the same—but I had changed.
We drove in silence. I stared out the window at a city that had grown without me. Billboards I didn't recognize. Cars that looked different. A pace I wasn't sure I could keep up with.
"You're quiet," Rylan said.
"I'm overwhelmed," I admitted. "Not just by what's changed. But by… what I missed. What I lost."
He pulled the car to the side and parked. "Look at me."
I turned.
"You didn't lose everything," he said. "You're here. And I'm here. That's not nothing."
I swallowed the lump in my throat. "And Damien?"
He looked away, hands tightening on the wheel. "He was never here, Ava. Not really. You just didn't see it until it was too late."
The truth of it hit harder than I expected.
---
Meanwhile – Canada
Damien stared out the frosted window of the penthouse his father had forced him into. It overlooked a pristine skyline, perfect and sterile—just like everything his father loved.
"Any word from the States?" he asked the man across the room.
His father's advisor shook his head. "No updates. Your father has requested full media silence regarding the Blackwell family name."
Damien's jaw tightened. He stood, pacing the room. "I need to go back."
The advisor's face remained unreadable. "You left her."
"I wasn't given a choice!" Damien snapped. "She was in a coma. My father threatened to destroy her family's name if I didn't leave quietly. I thought I'd have time to fix it later."
"But you didn't come back," the advisor said coldly. "And now? She's awake. And you're a ghost."
Damien turned to the window again, guilt tightening in his chest like a chain. Ava was awake. And she had every reason to hate him.
Still… he had to see her.
Even if it was already too late.
---
Back to Ava – That Night
I sat on my couch, a blanket over my legs, a cup of tea Rylan had made cradled in my hands. Everything felt different. My reflection in the mirror. My voice. The way time sat heavy in my bones.
Rylan sat beside me, watching some old series I didn't recognize. He looked over and caught me staring.
"You okay?" he asked.
I nodded. "Just… catching up on a decade."
"Want help with that?" he grinned.
I gave him a small smile. "Only if you're patient."
"I waited ten years, Ava. I can wait a little longer."
He didn't kiss me. Didn't push. Just leaned against me gently. I rested my head on his shoulder, closing my eyes.
For the first time in forever, I felt safe.
But deep in the back of my mind, one question still lingered.
What
would I do when Damien came back?
Because I knew—he would.
And this time, I wasn't sure I could forgive him.
---