Bound To The Broken Alpha (Amy and Daniel) novel Chapter 45

**When Dawn Breaks Slowly Hope Finds Space To Grow by Jin Rowan**
**Chapter 45: Don’t Talk Like That**

**CLARA**

**PA**

Finished.

In an abrupt motion, he stood, his agitation palpable as he began to pace the small, sterile room. “There must be something else they can do,” he exclaimed, his voice tinged with desperation. “Another treatment. Another doctor, perhaps!”

I felt the weight of his words hang heavily in the air. “There isn’t,” I replied, my voice steady but soft. “You’ve already tried everything.”

He pivoted to face me, determination etched across his features. “Then I’ll find something new. I have to.”

I observed him as he returned to the window, his silhouette framed against the dim light filtering through the glass. His shoulders were tense, and his hands were balled into tight fists, a sight that twisted my heart. It pained me to see him like this, yet a deeper ache stemmed from the understanding that a part of him was acting out of guilt. That realization made my own emotions feel exaggerated, almost theatrical.

“Please, sit down,” I urged gently, hoping to soothe the storm brewing within him.

He turned back, frustration flickering in his eyes. “I can’t just sit here, Clara.”

“But you can,” I insisted, my tone firm yet kind. “And you really should. Just be here with me.”

For a moment, he hesitated, caught between his instinct to act and the need to simply be present. Finally, he relented and sank into the chair beside me. “You think I’m wasting my time, don’t you?”

“No,” I countered, shaking my head. “I think you’re trying to make up for lost time.”

He let out a heavy sigh, the kind that spoke of burdens too great to bear. “Maybe I am.”

Silence enveloped us for a while, the only sound the soft beeping of the monitor beside my bed. Finally, I broke the stillness. “Mark,” I began, my voice barely above a whisper, “I need to ask you something important.”

His gaze snapped to mine, concern etched on his face. “What is it?”

“If I don’t make it… promise me you won’t spend the rest of your life feeling guilty.”

His reaction was immediate, shaking his head as if to dispel the very notion. “Don’t talk like that, Clara.”

“I’m serious,” I pressed, my heart racing. “Promise me.”

“I can’t promise that,” he replied quietly, his voice heavy with truth. “Because I will feel guilty. I already do.”

I closed my eyes, trying to ward off the tears threatening to spill. “You shouldn’t feel that way.”

He leaned closer, his expression earnest. “You’re saying that because you’re tired. But I mean it, I should have been better. I should have been there for you before it got to this point.”

Slowly, I opened my eyes again, meeting his gaze. “You’re here now. That’s what matters.”

He took my hand once more, his grip firm yet tender. “It’s not enough.”

“It is,” I insisted, my voice steady. “You think love is about fixing everything. It’s not just that. Sometimes love is simply about sitting in the same room and not leaving.”

He looked down at our intertwined fingers, a flicker of understanding crossing his face. “Then I’ll sit here for as long as you need me to.”

“Good,” I said softly, a sense of relief washing over me. The emotional weight of our exchange was shifting, and I could sense him slowly forgetting the burdens of helping Amy out of her shame and scandal. Deep down, I harbored a wish that the Carters would annul her marriage with their son, leaving her abandoned like a stray dog on the street.

As hours slipped by, the nurses entered to check my vitals once again. Each time they did, I could see Mark’s anxiety manifesting in the way he watched them, as if he feared they would deliver bad news. Once they departed, he returned to adjusting my pillows, ensuring I had water nearby, and asking if I needed anything at all.

At one point, I said, “You should go home and rest. You’re wearing yourself thin.”

“I’m fine here,” he replied, his voice resolute.

“You’re not,” I countered, concern lacing my words. “You look absolutely exhausted.”

“I don’t care,” he declared, his tone firm. “I’m not leaving you alone.”

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