Page 30 of Wreckage

I didn’t argue. He wasn’t wrong. Dwelling on the worries of the free world seemed insignificant at that moment. I just nodded and stared up at the dark ceiling.

Silence stretched between us before Troy broke it again.

“I don’t think she’s going to make it.”

I clenched my jaw, closing my eyes. “She will. You promised.”

“I know, but she’s too weak,” he whispered, his voice choked. “If she doesn’t wake soon…"

“No,” I said firmly. “She’s strong. She always has been. You said it yourself.”

Troy didn’t respond to me. Instead, he reached for her hand.

I reached for the other on instinct.

Neither of us spoke as we both whispered soft prayers, our voices barely above a breath.

Eventually, exhaustion took us under. We slept, the three of us tangled in the same blankets, hoping she’d be with us when we woke up.

Chapter 12

Elena

Asharp, aching pain ripped me from the darkness. I gasped, my chest rising too fast, my body locking up as I woke with a soft cry. I was trapped, warmth pressing in on both sides of me. I was tucked between two bodies.

I didn’t understand.

Everything hurt. The room was blurry. It was chilly. My limbs felt heavy and bruised, my skin aching and raw. My head pounded so fiercely I thought it might split in two.

I sucked in a sharp breath, my ribs screaming in protest.

I whimpered again, confused, scared, hurting.

“Elena.” The voice was low, familiar.

Warm hands touched my arm, a firm but gentle weight grounding me.

I blinked, my vision blurry, my chest tight with panic.

“Elena, you’re OK,” Adrian murmured. “You’re safe. You’re with us.”

I swallowed, trying to focus, but my head was spinning, my heart slamming too hard against my ribs for me to breathe properly.

The wreckage. The plane. The storm.

Memories crashed over me, slow at first, then all at once.

I choked on a sob, the move making me hurt even more.

Adrian’s hand curled tighter around my wrist. “You need to breathe.Calmly.You have some broken ribs. We all do. It hurts to breathe, and you’re making it worse by panicking. I promise we have you. You’re OK. You’re here. You’re alive.”

I tried to do what he said—tried so hard. But the pain made it impossible and only escalated what I was feeling.

My body shook violently, and I realized it wasn’t just from the cold. I wasn’t just hurting.

I was terrified.

Adrian exhaled and shifted away from me, rummaging through a small bag.

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