Finn's POV

My hands grip the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turn white. My heart is pounding in my chest, each beat echoing like a drum in my ears. I speed down the narrow streets, weaving between cars, my foot pressing harder on the gas pedal.

I turn a corner sharply, my tires screeching against the asphalt. The café should be just up ahead, but as I approach, I see a line of cars backed up, barely moving. My heart sinks as I realize there's traffic—a lot of traffic. I slam my hands against the steering wheel in frustration.

"Come on, come on," I mutter to myself, anxiety crawling up my spine like a cold hand. The line of cars isn't moving, and I can't wait any longer. I glance around for a place to ditch my car, spotting an empty space near the curb. I yank the wheel to the right, barely getting the car into the spot before throwing it in park.

I jump out of the car, my heart racing faster now. I don't even bother locking it. I start sprinting down the street, weaving through the stopped cars and ignoring the honks and shouts from frustrated drivers. All I can think about is Lily—where she is, what's happening, if she's okay.

As I get closer, I see a crowd gathered ahead. My pulse quickens, and I push myself to run faster, my legs burning, my lungs screaming for air. Panic grips my chest as I approach the crowd. There's an ambulance parked at an odd angle, its lights flashing, and I hear the faint sound of sirens in the distance.

"What's going on?" I shout to no one in particular, my voice raw with fear. I push through the people, shoving my way to the front of the gathering. My heart is in my throat, my breath coming in short, panicked gasps.

"There's been a hit and run," someone says, their voice grim. "A woman... she got hit. It looked bad."

The words hit me like a punch to the gut, knocking the wind out of me. My vision blurs for a moment, and I feel like I might be sick.

No. No, no, no. This can't be happening.

"Lily," I whisper, the word barely audible over the noise. I break into a run again, shoving past the last of the crowd until I'm free of them. And that's when I see her.

She's lying on the ground, her body motionless, blood pooling around her. Jen is on her knees beside her, screaming her name over and over, tears streaming down her face. Kam is a few feet away, frantically talking on the phone, her hands shaking so badly she can barely hold it.

"LILY!" I scream, my voice breaking as I sprint toward her.

My mind is spinning, my body moving on autopilot. This can't be real. This has to be some kind of nightmare.

I fall to my knees beside her, my hands hovering over her, terrified to touch her, terrified I'll somehow make it worse. Her face is pale, her eyes closed, and she's so still. Too still. My heart feels like it's being ripped out of my chest.

"Lily, please, wake up," I beg, my voice shaking.

Tears blur my vision, but I don't care. I reach out, my hand trembling as I touch her cheek, her skin cold and clammy. "Butterfly, please. I'm here. I'm here now. Just wake up ... hmmm... Please."

Jen is sobbing uncontrollably, her hands covered in blood as she presses them against Lily's side, trying to stop the bleeding.

"She... she was on the phone with you," she chokes out, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Then the car came out of nowhere... it hit her so fast, Finn. I couldn't... I couldn't do anything."

My head is spinning. I can barely process her words. All I can see is Lily, lying there so still, her body battered. I look up at Kam, who is desperately shouting into the phone.

"We need an ambulance now! She's not responding! Please, hurry!" Kam's voice is panicked, her face pale as she clutches the phone to her ear.

The world feels like it's crashing down around me, the noise, the people, everything fading into the background. All I can focus on is Lily—how still she is, how fragile she looks. I can't lose her. I can't. Not like this.

"Stay with me, Lily," I whisper, leaning down, my forehead pressing against hers as tears fall onto her cheeks.

"I need you to stay with me. I need you to fight, okay? What about Forever and Always, don't forget that."

I don't know if she can hear me. I don't know if she's even still here. But I have to believe she is. I have to believe that she's fighting, that she won't give up. Because I can't give up on her. Not now. Not ever.

The sirens grow louder, and I lift my head, my eyes searching for the ambulance. But all I see is Lily, lying there, so still. I feel the panic rising in my chest, threatening to choke me.

*****

I don't remember getting in the ambulance. I don't remember much of anything except the blaring sirens, the flashing lights, and the sickening feeling in my stomach as I watched them lift Lily onto the stretcher, her body so limp and lifeless. Jen and Kam were crying, their faces streaked with tears and their voices drowned out by the chaos around us.

Now, I'm in the back of the ambulance, sitting on a tiny bench with my head in my hands, trying to breathe, trying to keep it together. The paramedics are working on Lily, their voices calm and focused, but all I hear is the frantic pounding of my own heart.

"She's not responding," one of the paramedics says, his voice tense. "Her pulse is weak. We need to move faster."

I look up, my vision blurred with tears, and see them working on her—tubes, machines, so much blood. My stomach churns, and I feel like I'm going to be sick. I grip the edge of the bench, my knuckles white, my body trembling with fear.

"Butterfly," I whisper, my voice breaking. "Please, don't leave me. Not like this."

The paramedic glances at me for a split second, his eyes filled with a sympathy I don't want. I don't want their pity. I want Lily to be okay. I want this to be some kind of horrible dream that I'll wake up from any second now, with her begging me to watch Sharknado for the hundredth time.

But I know it's not. I know this is real, and I don't know how to make it stop.

The ambulance jolts as we turn a corner, and I hear the driver shouting something about clearing a path. The hospital isn't far, but it feels like we're moving through quicksand, like every second is dragging on for an eternity.

I can't take my eyes off Lily. Her face is pale, her lips tinged blue, and I feel a fresh wave of panic crash over me. I don't know what I'll do if I lose her. I can't even think about it.

The ambulance finally screeches to a halt, and the doors fly open. I'm shoved to the side as the paramedics rush Lily out, their movements fast and efficient. I stumble out after them, my legs shaky, my mind a blur.

Inside the hospital, everything is bright and loud and chaotic. Nurses and doctors swarm around us, barking orders and pushing gurneys. I follow Lily as they rush her down a long hallway, my heart in my throat.

A nurse steps in front of me, blocking my path.

"Sorry, you can't go any further"

"No, you don't understand," I plead, my voice frantic. "That's my girlfriend. I need to be with her. Please, let me be with her."

"I'm sorry," she says, "You have to wait here. We'll update you as soon as we can."

I want to scream, to push past her, to run to Lily's side and hold her hand and tell her everything's going to be okay. But I can't. I'm stuck in this godforsaken hallway, watching as they wheel her through a set of double doors, disappearing from sight.

The nurse guides me to a chair, and I collapse into it, my body shaking with fear and adrenaline. Kam and Jen arrive a few seconds later, their faces pale and streaked with tears. They both sit down next to me, and I feel Kam's hand on my shoulder, squeezing gently but my eyes fixed on the doors they wheeled her through.

I can't seem to look away, as if staring at them hard enough will somehow make her come back through, smiling, telling me it was all some big mistake.

But the doors stay closed, and the minutes drag on, each one feeling like an eternity.