Chapter 14

I couldn’t shake the uneasiness in my chest. The hospital room was silent except for the steady beeping of the machines. My mother was asleep, her face pale against the pillow. I should have been resting too, but my mind wouldn’t stop racing. I could not stop thinking about Jordan. He was at home with Sebastian. But Joey was there too, and that thought made my stomach twist. I hadn’t seen my son in hours, and I needed to hear his voice, to know he was okay. Without thinking, I grabbed my phone and went outside the hospital room. I did not want to disturb my Mom's sleep and after I was alone, I dialed Sebastian’s number. It rang once, twice… then a third time. My heartbeat quickened. Why wasn’t he picking up? Finally, after what felt like forever, the call connected. “Sebastian,” I breathed out in relief. But something felt off. His voice was thick, sluggish, like he had just woken up—or like he had been doing something else entirely. “What’s wrong?” he asked, but before I could respond