When Her "Death" Couldn't Break Him (Cecilia and Nathaniel)

Outside the ward's sterile glow, he pulled out his phone. After a long, reluctant pause, he called Cecilia.

While the ringtone droned, he stared at the blizzard curling beyond the glass, stomach knotting with dread.

He knew he could never repay the mountain of debt. Cecilia was the one future he could still afford.

The thought tasted of shame, yet no other name lived in his thoughts.

Across town, Cecilia glanced at the unfamiliar number. The strange prefix told her it was Magnus.

Her private line was airtight. Unknown callers simply didn't exist unless they were family.

Besides Magnus, she knew no one in that dusty county code.

She pressed mute and let the phone pulse in silence.

The ringtone died again. Magnus redialed, brows knitting. "Why isn't she picking up? Did she change numbers?" he muttered.

He blew out a white breath. "Looks like I'll have to risk a trip back to Tudela."

The New Year was only days away. Magnus convinced himself that holiday sentiment would loosen Cecilia's purse strings and drag him out of this mess.

Back inside the ward, he shut the door.

creasing her brow. "So, this plan of yours, what is

Magnus said, shaking his

kind

until every shard

but chose honesty. "I'll ask my sister. She's loaded. What I owe is pocket

name, color drained from Denise's face. She stared at

stillness seeped into the

felt the

to Tudela, get

thought you'd changed. Clearly, you haven't. Why keep acting like a

slapped him. Had anyone else said it, he would

it was Denise who stood in front of him. She was a living reminder of every line he

skin. His cheeks blazed, the shame so fierce it felt as if someone had pressed a

his throat, nothing but a jagged whisper and

from your sister, who, let's be clear, shares

values

friends anymore." Denise's voice never wavered, each syllable a measured cut.

blame on anyone else, so Magnus' behavior landed like an insult she

pooled in his stomach, cold and sudden, as though the ground had tilted