“I thought I’d never see you again,” I keep going, even though my voice is shaking, even though my throat is raw. “Or Maddie. I—I couldn’t . . .” My breath hitches. “I wanted to live. For you, for her.”
His fingers tighten around mine. “Nysa?—”
“I thought I’d never hear Maddie laugh again,” I cut him off, my chest rising and falling in uneven bursts. “Never feel you?—”
My voice breaks, a sob choking out of me.
And that’s when he breaks too.
Hopper leans in, pressing his forehead to mine, his breath shaking, his entire body trembling against me.
“I almost lost you,” he whispers, his voice barely there.
I grip his shirt weakly, grounding myself in his warmth, his scent, the solid presence of him.
“You didn’t,” I murmur, turning my face into his neck, needing more of him, all of him.
“I should’ve been faster.”
“Hopper—”
“I should’ve gotten to you before they touched you.”
I pull back, forcing him to look at me.
“You found me,” I whisper. “That’s what matters.”
A knock at the door startles us both.
Hopper stiffens, his body going rigid, his eyes flashing with something lethal.
But then?—
A little giggle.
“Nys, I need my Nys.”
My heart stumbles.
Maddie.
Hopper glances at me, searching my face, waiting for my nod.
I wipe at my face quickly, even though I know there’s no hiding what I’ve been through.
“Yeah,” I whisper. “I need to see her.”
He exhales slowly, then moves to open the door.
Maddie comes racing in, her little arms flailing, her curls bouncing with every hurried step. Atlas is right behind her, with Ledger and Gale flanking him, their faces unreadable.
“Be gentle with Nysa, pumpkin,” Hopper warns, but she’s already climbing onto the bed, her little face pinched with worry.
“You gotted hurt?” she asks, her lower lip wobbling.
I nod, my throat too tight to speak for a second. “I did,” I finally manage, my voice soft. “But I’ll be okay.”
Her tiny hands reach for mine, her fingers warm and careful.
