I’d only really taken a good look around this hospital room twice–once when I was searching for


    Hayden, and now, while trying to figure out what to pack.


    Wayne crouched in front of me, his voice soft. “Rea, how are you feeling? Any difort?”


    I was about to shake my head when a knock interrupted us. Jace walked in with the doctor.


    “Let the doctor check you over. If anything happens on the ne, it’ll be hard to deal with,” Jace


    said, hist gaze briefly flicking to Wayne. I noticed the slight crease in his brow.


    As the doctor moved closer, Wayne stood up and stepped aside, naturally giving him room.


    The doctor listened to my heartbeat, took my blood pressure, and ran through a full exam. “You’re


    recovering well,” he finally said. “Everything looks normal.”


    “Thank you, doctor,” Jace said, sounding genuinely grateful.


    Wayne chimed in, “I’ll walk the doctor out. I need to pack, too. Jace, stay and talk to Rea.”


    The door clicked shut behind them, and just like that, it was me and Jace. Alone.


    Neither of us said a word. We just sat there, wrapped in silence. I stared into space, lost in thought,


    while Jace’s eyes stayed fixed on me.


    After what felt like forever, he finally broke the quiet. “I’m sorry.”


    I turned to him, knowing my eyes were distant, zed over with everything that had happened.


    Jace sat down next to me. “If it weren’t for me, you wouldn’t havee to Houston. You wouldn’t


    have been in danger.


    “You wouldn’t have had to give so much blood to save me… and Hayden wouldn’t have


    misunderstood.” I blinked, then lowered my eyes to the second button on his shirt. “There’s no need


    to apologize. Isn’t there that saying? Everything happens for a reason.”


    Maybe this was fate.


    “Rea,” Jace said softly, “why did you do it? Risk your life to save me?”


    I didn’t look up, just gave a small, bitter smile. “Because if I didn’t, you’d be dead.


    “But what about your life? Why didn’t you think about yourself? I know what happened-if you hadn’t


    given thatst 20 of blood, you wouldn’t have copsed.”


    I shed back to that moment, when I’d watched my blood fill the bag for him. I smiled again, but it


    didn’t reach my eyes. “If you’re gonna help someone, you might as well go all the way.


    I’d already given you so much, might as well finish it.


    “If I stopped halfway and you didn’t make it, what was the point of the 60 I’d already given?”


    As soon as the words left my mouth, a thought crept in I slowly lifted my eyes to meet his. “Don’t


    overthink it. Even if it hadn’t been you that day–if it was a stranger–I would’ve done the same.”


    Jace’s eyes narrowed a bit, “Really? Even for a stranger?”


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    “Yes!” I said, a little too quickly, a little too firmly.


    I saw it–the sh of disappointment in his eyes. I knew exactly why.


    #25 BONUS


    “Don’t feel guilty,” I said, hoping to stop whatever spiral he was about to fall into. “I saved you


    because we share the same blood type.


    “Maybe that’s why I’m in your life–to help when you need it.


    “And we grew up together, shared meals, lived under the same roof. How could I just let you die?”


    Jace’s lips curved into a sad smile. “Since we split up, you’ve built so many walls around yourself.


    You won’t even give me a sliver of hope anymore.”


    “It’s not possible between us now. If I let you hang on to hope, I’d be just as bad as you were back


    then.”


    I didn’t pull any punches. He needed to hear it. Only then could he understand that the hurt he felt


    now? That’s what I’d gone through.


    at


    deserve it,” Jace muttered, his voice rough. “I’ve already wronged you so many times, and now !


    “I


    owe you a debt of blood. I don’t know how I’ll ever repay it.”


    nced at the bandages on his head. “You don’t owe me for that. If you hadn’t shielded me during


    the crash, maybe you’d be the one giving me blood.”


    Jace let out a dry chuckle. “Guess we’re destined to be connected by blood.”


    I didn’t reply, and his smile faded, turning stiff. Silence fell between us, and for a long while, neither


    of us ‘spoke.


    Finally, he broke the quiet again. “Rea…”


    I looked over at him and saw his eyes, red and raw,


    “If you and Hayden… I mean, if…” He was struggling, tripping over his words. “If you two don’t work


    out, if you break up because of all this… would you ever give me another chance?”