“Fender wouldn’t need the hospital unless it was really bad…” He was bulletproof. He was the strongest man I’d ever met. Whatever happened was serious.

“Melanie—”

“This is what you wanted, isn’t it?” I threw her arm off my body. “Congratulations.”

She cowered at my viciousness, her eyes turning guarded and hurt at the same time. Her hand was in the air, and it slowly lowered back to her side as she watched me come apart, watched me experience agony and rage at the same time.

“I take it back, okay?”

“You won’t forgive Fender for anything, so don’t expect me to forgive you for wishing such a terrible thing. That man is my whole world…” Sobs racked me, made me move to the other wall. “He loves me for who I am—unlike you. He makes me happy. He makes me feel good about myself.”

Raven watched me, her eyes softening. “I’m sorry, okay?”

“I don’t give a shit if you’re sorry.” I threw down my arms. “If he dies…” I shook my head. “I’ll never forgive you. I’ll never forgive you for wishing that misery on me. I’ll never forgive you for wishing me to be alone for the rest of my life.”

Raven stared at me for a long time, her eyes falling to the ground. “I didn’t realize you felt this way—”

“Because you didn’t listen. You always assume I’m too stupid to know what I want. Well, he doesn’t think I’m stupid. He doesn’t think I’m dull. He doesn’t think I’m as weak and pathetic as you describe me.”

“Melanie, I don’t think you’re stupid—”

“Yes, you do. Don’t lie.”

She winced.

“And that’s fine. Because he thinks the world of me—and that’s all I need.”

Miranda took us to the hospital.

We went to the ER and found Magnus in the waiting room.

The second Raven saw him, she sprinted to him.

He got to his feet and caught her at the perfect moment, his arms locking around her, his lips kissing her as she kissed him. His hand cupped the back of her head, and he closed his eyes as he held her.

I looked around.

Fender wasn’t there.

I started to cry because my worst fear was coming true.

“Oh god…”

Watching them love each other only reminded me of what I had—and what I might lose. You never really appreciated something until it was gone. Fender was by my side nearly all the time, and I’d give anything to go back in time and experience one of those quiet moments, the two of us in comfortable silence in his office, watching TV on the couch, lying in bed together.

I couldn’t lose that.

Magnus and Raven broke apart. Magnus looked at me, pain in his eyes, and then stepped toward me.