Levi's POV
The room was still. Too still. For a long moment, I didn't move. I could hear the faint sound of Olivia's sobs somewhere nearby, Louis's tense breathing, the healer whispering fake prayers under her breath. Everyone thought I was unconscious. They thought I had fainted because I was weak. But I wasn't. I was awake the whole time. My heart was beating fine, my mind clear. Only the healer knew the truth. She understood right away and pretended to keep praying so no one would notice.
When I finally opened my eyes, the room was empty. The healer had asked everyone to leave so I could rest. My body ached, my chest felt heavy, but not from weakness. From guilt. Because what everyone believed had happened was a lie. I hadn't fainted. I'd pretended. I'd needed Olivia to believe something, and the voice Olivia heard through me—the message that made her stop fighting, that made her cry and finally let go—that wasn't Lennox.
