Chapter 333

Charles Hart’s heart felt like it had been squeezed tight. He turned his hand over, gripping her wrist and pressing it against his face so she could feel the warmth of his skin and the roughness of his stubble. “It’s not a dream, Stella. I’m here,” he said, his voice hoarse with exhaustion and emotion. “I’m back.” Tears welled up in Stella Johnson’s eyes, spilling down like broken beads, unstoppable. She suddenly sat up despite the tubes connected to her, throwing her arms around Charles’ neck and burying her face in his shoulder. Her whole body trembled as she sobbed. “I missed you so much… I thought you really left me…” Her tears soaked through his shirt, the warmth seeping into his chest and burning straight to his heart. He heard her murmuring, her voice broken and soft, “I keep dreaming about you… on the plane, in the clinic… You’re covered in blood, walking away, and no matter how much I call, you never turn back…” “Don’t be silly,” Charles tightened his arms around her, holding