Chapter 14: The Scars We Choose
I sat in the sterile waiting room of the county hospital for seven hours.
Tyler had suffered two broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and severe hypothermia, but the doctors confirmed he would survive. The little girl he saved was unharmed.
When I was finally permitted into his room, the steady beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the quiet space. Tyler lay propped up on the bed, pale and bandaged, looking smaller than I had ever remembered him.
When his eyes fluttered open and saw me sitting in the chair beside him, he tried to sit up in alarm, wincing in pain.
"Elena... what are you doing here?" he rasped.
"You saved that little girl's life today, Tyler," I said softly, handing him a glass of water.
He drank slowly, his eyes downcast. "Anyone would have jumped in."
"Four years ago, you wouldn't have ruined your designer shoes to save anyone," I noted gently.
A sad, honest smile touched his cracked lips. "Four years ago, I didn't have a soul. The man who stood on those marble steps and threw your suitcase into the rain deserved to drown in that river."
May you like
He looked at me, his gaze clear, humble, and devoid of the old manipulative charm. "I don't expect your forgiveness, Elena. I know what I broke. But I want you to know... I am truly, deeply sorry for the pain I caused you."
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