a hero, the newspapers said, decorated and brave, but the man who sat across from me at the dinner

aping of my fork loud in the quiet room. "

. He hadn't really

xt from a number I didn't have sav

needs this. He needs me to get him through thi

aw his face plastered on the news. Now, she was a renowned trauma therapist, and she had de

Liam and I have it handled.

z of my phone, his head

I said, trying to

ll rang, sharp and insistent. I

k on her face. She held a Tupperware container, steam fogging the lid. "Olivia, I was so

ut I held my ground. "Scarle

shoulder at Liam, who was still frozen at the table. "He looks like he's a million

repeatedly. He didn't want her here, didn't want her "therapy." But she never

. It was supposed to be a good thing, a step toward normalcy

breathing grew shallow, his knuckles white where he gripped the arm of hi

k at me. Breathe with me," she commanded, her voice cutting throug

tention of everyone around us. People stopped and stared. She was putting on a performa

uided Liam to his feet, leading him away from the table, away from me. He went with her, his eyes still distant, follow

pointment, the one I had to fight for weeks to get him to attend. Scarlett was i

lt. It was coming right for us. Time slowed down. I saw t

world went sideways. My head slammed against the window. Through the shattered glass

r engine. She was sl

seatbelt, his movements frantic. "Scarle

vision blurring. "My leg

hen he looked back at Scarlett's car. "I have to get her o

oor open and carefully lifted her out, cradling her in his arms as he carried her to th

ent of life and death, he

I saw him before the war, laughing and whole. Then I saw the recent months, the way he'd pull away from my touch, the way his eyes would light up, just for a secon

ospital bed. Liam was sitting in a ch

hick with a guilt that was too littl

asked, my own v

then rushed to explain. "I had to get her o

stared

a separation. Just for a little while. So I can get my head straight. Scarlett th

ion. It was the coward's way out, a way to have her

t of me that had been fighting, hopi

ice eerily steady. "If that

idn't see the ice forming in my heart. He didn't understand

quick. As I signed my name, my hand didn't even shake. I thought of the vows we'd made, the promises of in sick

" he said softly, trying to take my hand. "It doesn't change how I f

at him, and felt nothing. Not anger, not sadness, just

in my tone because he flinched. He tried to say something else, but the words died on his lips.