Lily's POV

Everything hurts. A dull, throbbing ache pulses through my body, and the pounding in my head feels like it's splitting my skull. I try to open my eyes, but the brightness stabs at me, making me wince. The light is too much, too sharp, and I squeeze my eyes shut again, fighting against the disorientation that fogs my mind.

But then I hear him—his voice, low and filled with so much emotion it makes my heart stutter. I force my eyes open again, just enough to take in the figure sitting beside me. Finn. His face looks worn, the weight of exhaustion and worry etched into every line. But when his eyes meet mine, relief floods his features, wiping away the strain.

"Finn?" I rasp, my throat dry and scratchy. My voice is barely there, rough from disuse. It feels strange, speaking again, like my body doesn't quite remember how.

His eyes widen, and for a moment, he looks like he can't believe it. Then, before I can process what's happening, he's pulling me into a careful, gentle hug, his arms trembling as they wrap around me.

"Oh my God," he breathes, his voice breaking. "Fuck, I thought I lost you. I thought—" He cuts himself off, his grip tightening just enough to make me feel how much he's been holding on, how close he was to breaking.

His touch is cautious, like he's afraid I might disappear if he holds me too tightly. But the emotion in his voice hits me like a wave, and I feel my heart squeeze painfully in my chest.

Finn's arms are wrapped around me, and for a moment, I let myself sink into the warmth of his embrace. It feels safe, like everything's going to be okay. But beneath the comfort, there's this strange buzzing in the back of my mind—something trying to push through the fog, something I don't want to remember.

And then it hits me.

It starts like a slow unravelling, piece by piece. Flashes of memories, sharp and vivid, cut through the haze. The hospital. The cold gel on my stomach. The flicker on the screen. The tiny heartbeat.

"Oh my God," I whisper, my voice trembling as the memory crashes over me. I was at the hospital. Kam and Jen were there. I remember lying on the exam table, staring at that little flickering dot, the nurse pointing at it with a smile.

"That's your baby."

A sharp pang of joy, quickly followed by terror, shoots through me as I relive the moment—the realization that I was pregnant, the uncertainty, the fear. I remember not telling Finn, not knowing how to tell him. I didn't want to hurt him. I didn't want to make him worry until I figured out what to do.

But then I'm out of the hospital, my phone in my hand, Finn's name flashing across the screen. I can see it all now—every agonizing detail. I'm standing at the crosswalk, my heart pounding in my chest, staring at the text he sent me. Baby, where are you? Are you okay?

I was about to answer him. I was about to tell him everything. But the light turned green, and I stepped out onto the street. I hear the screeching tires before I see it, the car barrelling toward me at full speed. Panic shoots through me, and I try to move, but it's too late. The impact is brutal, a force so strong that it feels like the world tilts on its axis.

The sound of metal crunching, of people screaming, floods my memory. I remember the pain—unbearable, searing pain that ripped through my body as I hit the ground. My phone clattered away from me, Finn's voice still coming through the speaker, frantic and terrified.

"Lily, what happened? LILY!?"

And then, nothing. Darkness.

I gasp, pulling away from Finn as the memories rush back in full force. My breathing becomes erratic, my chest tightening with panic. I can feel my heart pounding in my ears, my hands shaking as the realization of it all hits me again. I remember everything—the excitement of hearing my baby's heartbeat, the fear of telling Finn, the moment the car hit me, and I lost everything.

I instinctively clutch my stomach, my fingers digging into the thin hospital gown as if I can protect something. Finn's eyes flicker to my hand, and I see the moment he understands. His face crumples, and for a split second, the exhaustion and pain that he's been holding back crash through.

"Butterfly—" Finn starts, his voice low and pained, but I can't handle it. I can't handle the softness in his voice, the pity. Not right now.

"Finn," I choke out, cutting him off, my voice trembling as the words forces their way out, not caring if this is how he finds out.

"The baby... is the baby okay?" My throat tightens around the question, fear tightening its grip on me as I search his face for some kind of hope.

His face falls, the hope draining from his eyes as he opens his mouth, but no words come out. His silence is the answer, the final blow, and it rips through me like a knife. I feel the ground shift beneath me, and suddenly, I'm drowning.

"No," I whisper, shaking my head as tears blur my vision. "No, no, no..."

I can't breathe. The air feels too thick, too heavy. The sobs start hard and fast, wrenching out of my chest with a force I can't control. I'm crumbling, falling apart in his arms, and I can't stop it. my baby... our baby... gone. The life inside me is gone, and it feels like the world is crashing down around me.

I collapse against Finn, my body shaking with the force of my sobs. I can't catch my breath. My heart feels like it's been ripped out, and I'm suffocating under the weight of it all. My baby... I didn't even get to hold them. I didn't even get to say goodbye.

"I'm so sorry," I gasp through the tears, my words barely coherent. "I was going to tell you. I swear, I was going to tell you that day, but I didn't know how. I was so scared, and now it's too late. It's all too late..."

"Lily, stop," Finn says, his voice cracking as he pulls me tighter into his arms. He's trying to hold me together, but he's falling apart too. I can feel his chest shaking against mine, and when I look up, I see the tears streaming down his face.

"I'm sorry," I cry again, my voice breaking as I bury my face in his chest. "I should've told you. I should've—"

"Shh, baby," Finn whispers, his voice thick with his own grief. "You don't have to be sorry. None of this is your fault. It's not your fault."

His words should comfort me, but they don't. Nothing can touch the pain that's tearing me apart. The sobs come harder, and I can't stop shaking, can't stop the agony that's ripping me open from the inside.

"I lost our baby," I sob, my words barely audible through the tears. "I didn't even get to know them. I didn't get to... I didn't get to do anything..."

Finn breaks then, his grip tightening around me as he crumbles under the weight of his own pain.

"I know," he whispers, his voice raw. "I know, Butterfly. I didn't even know... I didn't know..."

We hold each other, both of us shattered, both of us grieving something we never got to experience, something that was taken from us before we even had the chance to hope for it. The weight of it is unbearable, and for the first time in my life, I don't know how I'm supposed to get through this.

Finn presses his forehead to mine, tears streaming down his face as he whispers brokenly, 

"I love you. I love you so fucking much, and I'm so sorry. We'll get through this, okay? I swear, we'll get through this together."

But right now, together feels so far away. It feels like everything is broken beyond repair, and all we can do is hold on to each other and hope that somehow, we'll survive this heartbreak. Because right now, it feels like we're both drowning in it.

"Lily!" Jen and Kam burst into the room; their faces streaked with tears as they rush toward the bed. I barely have time to register their presence before they throw themselves into my arms, holding on to me like I might disappear again if they let go.

I let out a shaky breath, managing a small, tired smile.

"Hi, guys," I whisper, my voice still hoarse, but it feels like the most natural thing in the world to be with them again. My heart swells, despite everything, seeing how much they care.

Kam pulls back slightly, her eyes red and swollen from crying, her expression a mix of relief and anger.

"Don't ever scare us like that again," she says, her voice thick with emotion, but there's a slight laugh behind it, like she's trying to lighten the weight of everything that's happened. But I can hear it in her voice—she's not joking.

Jen nods frantically, her arms still wrapped tightly around me as if she's afraid I might vanish if she lets go. 

"Seriously, Lily," she adds, her voice trembling. "I don't know what we would've done if... if you didn't wake up."

The guilt twists inside me, knowing they've been here all this time, watching over me, waiting for me to come back to them. I can't imagine what these past months have been like for them. I blink back the tears threatening to fall again, not wanting to make this harder on any of us.

"I'm sorry," I murmur, feeling the weight of their love, their fear, and everything I've put them through. "I didn't mean to... I didn't want any of this to happen."

Kam shakes her head, her eyes softening. "It's not your fault, Lil. We're just so glad you're back. That's all that matters."

Jen squeezes me one last time before finally letting go, her eyes filled with tears but a small, relieved smile playing on her lips.

 "We missed you so much," she says, her voice breaking slightly. "Everything's been so... wrong without you here."

I nod, trying to take it all in—the love, the relief, the worry that still lingers in the air. I feel the ache of everything we've lost, everything that's been taken from us, but I also feel the overwhelming gratitude for the people standing in this room with me. They've been my rock, even when I wasn't able to lean on them.

"I missed you too," I say softly, my voice cracking with the weight of everything unsaid.

Kam wipes at her tears, giving me a wobbly smile. "Don't do this to us again, okay? I swear, I'll never forgive you if you put us through this kind of hell again."

I can't help but laugh, even though it's laced with tears. "I'll try not to."

Finn stands just behind them, his eyes still full of emotion, but there's a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he watches the three of us. 

Kam steps aside, giving Finn a meaningful look before wiping her face again. "We'll give you guys some space," she says, her voice still thick but steady. "I've called your mom; she'll be here soon."

Jen nods, giving me one last look before following Kam toward the door. She pauses just before she steps out, glancing back at me with a tearful smile. "I love you, Lil."

"I love you too," I whisper, my heart swelling with the love I feel for both of them.

And then it's just me and Finn. The door clicks shut behind them, leaving us in the quiet stillness of the room, the weight of everything we've been through hanging between us. He moves closer to me, sitting on the edge of the bed, his eyes never leaving mine.

"You really scared us," he says softly, his voice cracking slightly as he reaches out, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "Scared me."

I nod, the tears welling up in my eyes again, but this time they're not just tears of pain.

"I'm sorry, Finn," I whisper. "For everything. For not telling you about the baby. For... for everything."

He shakes his head, cupping my face gently with his hands, his eyes locked on mine.

"Stop apologizing," he says, his voice full of raw emotion. "You don't need to be sorry for anything. I'm just glad you're here. I'm glad I didn't lose you too."

I lean into his touch, closing my eyes as the tears finally spill over. "The baby," I whisper, my voice breaking. "I don't know how to move on from this."

"We'll figure it out," Finn says softly, his thumb brushing away my tears. "Together. We'll take it one day at a time, but you're not doing this alone, Lily. I'm not going anywhere."

I open my eyes, meeting his, and I see the love and pain reflected in them. It's overwhelming, but it's also exactly what I need. Because I don't know how to move forward either, but knowing Finn is here with me, that he's going to be by my side through all of this, makes it feel just a little bit more possible.

"Thank you," I whisper, my voice trembling. "For not giving up on me. For being here."

He leans down, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead.

"Always, Butterfly."

"And Forever, Lovebug" I whisper.

Finn leans in closer, his hand still cupping my face as his thumb brushes against my cheek. There's this raw intensity in his eyes—so much love, so much relief—and I know he's about to kiss me. It's the kind of kiss I've been waiting for, the one that tells me everything's going to be okay, even when the world feels like it's falling apart.

But just as his lips get close, I pull back, laughing softly despite everything.

"Finn, wait," I say, my voice still hoarse from being out of commission for so long. "I'm pretty sure my breath reeks."

He chuckles, his smile breaking through the sadness in his eyes, and shakes his head. "I don't care," he says, his voice low and filled with emotion. "I'm kissing you, and I don't care if your breath stinks."

Before I can protest again, his lips are on mine, soft but insistent, full of everything we've been through and everything we're going to face together. It's a kiss that makes the world fade away, that grounds me in this moment where nothing else matters but us.

And even though I was right about my breath—God, it must be awful—he doesn't flinch. He just kisses me deeper, like he's been waiting for this.

When he finally pulls back, his forehead rests against mine, his breath coming out in soft, uneven puffs.

"See?" he murmurs, his lips curving into a small smile. "I told you. Worth it."

I laugh, this light, airy sound that feels strange coming out of me after everything we've been through.

"You're impossible," I whisper, my fingers gently brushing against his jaw, holding on to him like he's my lifeline.

"Only when it comes to you," he replies, his voice low and full of so much love it makes my heart squeeze.

I lean into him, resting my head on his chest, and for the first time, I feel like maybe—just maybe—I can breathe again.