Becoming Strangers Again by Lily

LILY

Slowly, as if waking from a long, heavy dream, my eyes fluttered open. The room was quiet, but the first thing or rather, the first person-I noticed was Ryan. He stood by the window, his back slightly hunched, his phone pressed to his ear. There was a tension in his posture, the kind that made it clear whatever conversation he was having wasn't going well. His shoulders were tight, his free hand occasionally running through his hair-a clear sign of frustration.

I shifted in bed, the soft rustle of the sheets breaking the silence. The sound caught Ryan's attention, and he turned sharply, his eyes locking onto mine. As soon as he saw I was awake, he ended the call abruptly, sliding the phone into his pocket.

"Was that the police?" I asked, my voice hoarse but steady. He winced-just a flicker of discomfort that was gone almost as quickly as it appeared-before nodding in confirmation.

"I'm guessing they don't have any news about the boys," I added, my heart sinking as I spoke.

Ryan sighed, walking over to the bed and sitting down beside me. "They're staying optimistic," he said, his voice calm but edged with a strain he couldn't quite hide. "They're confident we'll find something. We just need a CCTV camera that caught the right footage." He leaned forward, brushing a gentle kiss against my forehead. His touch was warm, grounding. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his voice dropping to a soft whisper. "Do I need to call Amell?"

I shook my head. "I'm fine," I assured him, though my voice carried a faint tremor. "Whatever I inhaled, it was just meant to knock me out. But, Ryan, I swear on everything I have it was no accident. That crash was staged, nothing but a setup to take the boys." My voice cracked, but I pressed on, gripping the bedsheet tightly. "If only they'd call with a ransom demand... I'd give anything. I'd sell every last share in the hospital just to have them back in my arms."

Ryan's jaw tightened, his hand brushing mine in quiet reassurance. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?" he asked gently, his tone careful, as if afraid of pushing too hard. "The cops wanted to question you as soon as you were up, but I told them I'd talk to you first. I figured it'd be easier on you that way."

I exhaled shakily, pulling away from his touch as I tried to steady myself. The memories were fresh, vivid, and painfully sharp. "Everything was fine at first," I began, my voice a low murmur. "It was just another ordinary day. But then Clover-he picked up a perfume from his friend. That's when it all started,"

I paused, my mind straining to recall the face of Clover's friend, but it was a haze-like a name on the tip of my tongue that refused to surface. Frustrated, I shook my head. "I can't remember what he looked like," I admitted, my voice trembling. "But I do remember what Clover said on the drive back. He was talking about starting a perfume business. He was so excited, Ryan. He told me the bottle he got from his friend was one of his own products. He even said he'd already given one to Amell and then offered one to me."

help him, to support him. All I did was sniff it. Just one sniff. And then... everything went

was loud music playing before it disconnected. When they traced it, they found the car at the scene of the accident... where they found

I'm going to find my

Clover awake?" I

yet. I think he took the worst

his words. Sensing my unease, he quickly clarified. "I mean, I think

eyes, I leaned back, forcing myself to think, to piece together anything that

************

had called him in for an update, and despite my insistence on going with him, he outright refused. "You're not strong enough to leave the

and helplessness churned inside me. I couldn't just lie here and do nothing while my sons were missing. Forcing myself out

my room snapped to attention, their backs straightening as their sharp eyes fixed

driver's room is?" I asked the guards outside my door, my voice

both guards moved to follow me inside, but I stopped them. "Wait here," I instructed. "I'll go in alone." Though he

the room was quiet save for the soft beeping of

His face

a

his forehead told the story of a serious injury. But I wasn't here