Chapter 49

[Atlas]

She looked so tired when she asked me to leave, that I agreed to give her enough space to rest. I didn’t want to admit that I needed rest too. I was willing to watch over her sleeping form until I knew she was well enough to travel.

I wanted to bring her home with me, but she refused. “I want to go slow,” she insisted. “Last time I was forced into your world. This time, I’d like to invite you into mine.”

So I went home. Climbing into bed, I couldn’t sleep, haunted by memories of her and me together. Not just the unforgettable passion of that night when our child was conceived, but every kiss, every fight, and every interaction since.

This time will be different because this time, we are coming together because we choose to, not because we are told to.

Eventually, I gave up on sleeping.

I won’t feel comfortable until I’ve seen her safely return to her home.

Climbing out of bed, I wash, eat, and rush back to the hospital. When I get there, I don’t stop to check in but go dire