Maxwell’s POV
I found my way to the ICU floor, my heart pounding, my palms sweating.
And there she was.
Olivia.
Standing outside one of the rooms, her face pressed against the transparent window, looking in at what I assud was her father.
She was wearing the sa clothes from yesterday. Her hair was a ss. She looked exhausted and hollow and completely broken.
She was completely still. Like a statue. Like she’d been standing there for hours and might stand there for hours more.
Everything in wanted to go to her. To hold her. To tell her I was here and I wasn’t leaving.
But I could still hear her words from last night: I don’t want you anywhere near my family right now.
So I turned away and looked for Kennedy instead.
I found him in a small waiting area down the hall, sitting between his mother and Kira.
Mrs. Hopton’s eyes were red and swollen from crying. Kira had her arm around Kennedy’s shoulders, whispering sothing to him.
"Mrs. Hopton," I said quietly as I approached. "I’m so sorry. I’m..."
She looked up at , and the pain in her eyes nearly brought to my knees.
Then she looked away. Deliberately. Completely.
Like I wasn’t even there.
The rejection hit like a physical blow, but I understood it. I deserved it.
"Kennedy," I said, my voice rough. "Can I talk to you?"
He exchanged a look with Kira, then stood and followed a little ways down the hall where we could have so privacy.
"How is he?" I asked, though I was almost afraid to hear the answer.
Kennedy ran his hand over his face, and I could see how exhausted he was. How much this was destroying him.
"He made it through the night," Kennedy said, and for a mont hope flared in my chest. "They got him stabilized. Did surgery to repair the damage."
"But?"
There was always a ’but.’
Kennedy’s jaw tightened. "He’s in a coma, Maxwell. The doctors say there’s brain activity, which is good. But they don’t know when - or if - he’ll wake up. Could be days. Could be weeks. Could be..." He couldn’t finish the sentence.
I closed my eyes, feeling the weight of that crushing down on .
"I’m so sorry," I said. "Kennedy, I’m so sorry."
"I know."
We stood in silence for a mont.
"Did they catch him?" I forced myself to ask. "My father. Did the police..."
"No." Kennedy’s voice hardened. "He was gone by the ti I got there. Police arrived maybe ten minutes after , but..." He spread his hands helplessly. "He’d already fled. They’re looking for him, but so far nothing."
Of course. My father had managed to fake his own death and stay hidden for years. Finding him now would be nearly impossible.
Unless I did it myself.
"I’m going to find him," I said, the words coming out with absolute certainty. "I’m going to hunt him down and make sure he never hurts anyone ever again."
Kennedy looked at , really looked at , and I saw exhaustion and grief and sothing that might have been understanding.
"And then what?" he asked quietly.
I looked down the hall toward where Olivia still stood at her father’s window, unmoving, and felt sothing break inside my chest.
"Then I stay out of your family’s life," I said, the words tasting like acid in my mouth. "For good. You all deserve better than the chaos I bring. The danger. The..."
I broke off, my throat tight.
"Olivia deserves better," I finished quietly. "She deserves peace. A life without constantly looking over her shoulder, wondering if my psychotic father is going to show up and try to kill soone she loves. She’s carrying my baby, and I want..." My voice cracked. "I want her to be able to carry that baby to term without all this stress and fear. I want her to be happy."
"Even if that happiness doesn’t include you?" Kennedy asked.
"Especially if it doesn’t include ," I said.
Because that’s what love was, wasn’t it?
Wanting soone to be happy even if their happiness ant your own destruction.
Kennedy was quiet for a long mont, then he nodded slowly.
"For what it’s worth," he said, "I don’t bla you for this. What your father did - that’s on him, not you."
The words should have been comforting. But they just made feel worse.
"Your mother doesn’t feel the sa way," I observed.
"My mother is grieving," Kennedy said. "She’s terrified she’s going to lose her husband. Give her ti."
But I knew there wasn’t enough ti in the world to make Mrs. Hopton forget that my family had caused hers chaos.
Again.
"Take care of her," I said to Kennedy, looking back at Olivia one more ti. "Please. Make sure she eats. Make sure she rests. Make sure she takes care of herself and the baby."
Kennedy nodded. "I will. You have my word."
"Thank you."
I took one last long look at Olivia - morizing her every curve, the way her hair fell down her back, the way she stood like she could will her father awake through sheer force of presence.
I love you, I thought. I love you so much it’s destroying .
But I love you enough to let you go.
Then I turned and walked away.
Past Kennedy. Past his mother who still wouldn’t look at . Past Kira who watched with an expression I couldn’t read.
Down the hall. Into the elevator. Out of the hospital.
Into my car.
And as I drove away from the hospital, from the Hoptons, from Olivia, I made myself a promise.
I would find my father. I would stop him. Even if it ant killing him myself.
And then I would disappear from Olivia’s life completely.
Give her the peace she deserved. The happiness she’d earned.
Even if it destroyed .
Because her wellbeing - hers and our baby’s - was more important than my own broken heart.
I love you, Olivia, I thought as the hospital disappeared in my rearview mirror. I love you enough to let you go.
I just hope soday you’ll understand why.
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