Paul's pov
The news hit me like a punch to the gut. Pecan was gone.
"Discharged?" I repeated the nurse's words, my voice barely above a whisper as disbelief washed over me. My eyes locked on hers, searching for a hint of hesitation, some sign that she might have misspoken. But the nurse's expression remained steady, calm and sympathetic.
"She signed the discharge papers herself," she explained, her tone cautious, as if afraid I might lash out. "She said she had somewhere safe to go."
I felt my jaw tighten, anger bubbling beneath the surface. Of course, she hadn't told me. Why would she? After everything I'd done,after the cruel words I'd thrown at her,I was the last person she'd want to see. Still, the thought of her out there alone, vulnerable and hurting, made my chest ache in a way I couldn't ignore.
"She's not well enough to be out there alone," I muttered, more to myself than to the nurse. My hands balled into fists at my sides.
