“I’ll try.”
Not a promise.
I huff out a breath that’s almost a laugh.
“Yeah. I figured.”
Silence settles again.
But it’s different now.
Full.
Not empty.
Her fingers shift slightly in mine.
“Russ.”
“Yeah?”
She hesitates.
Just for a second.
Then—
“Thank you.”
That stops me.
Because it’s not just for the rescue.
It’s everything.
I tighten my grip on her hand.
“You don’t thank me for that.”
“I do.”
“You don’t.”
A faint spark of stubbornness flickers in her eyes.
There she is.
“I’m doing it anyway.”
I shake my head.
But I don’t argue.
Because she’s here.
Alive.
Talking to me.
