Regret Came Too Late

Outside, the snow kept falling. In the distance, the landscape was nothing but rubble, and beyond that, an endless stretch of bleak gray sky.

Ethan's fingers stayed locked with hers; the heat of his skin was a smoldering presence she couldn't ignore.

Grace didn't have it in her to be cruel-not when he asked so quietly to just be allowed this.

The minutes dragged painfully, and his fever only worsened.

Eventually, she couldn't sit still any longer. She reached for the bottle of water, ready to coax him into drinking again.

His eyes fluttered open-glazed, foggy, as if he wasn't sure where he was.

"Mr. Bennett's gone, Mr. Henderson. Let's head back first. Even if there's no medicine, lying down will be better than staying here," she reasoned.

Instead of responding, Ethan slowly dragged his tie, his movements sluggish from the fever.

Grace quickly pressed her hand against his chest to stop him and re-fastened the tie.

Normally, he was all sharp lines and strict precision, never leaving a button undone.

Grace lowered her eyes, fingers deftly tying the knot. She decided she wouldn't wait for Tim anymore-she would get Ethan back herself.

Just then, Ethan's scalding hand closed over hers.

"We're not going back," he rasped, his voice wrecked by the fever. "There are magnolias nearby... did you know?"

Grace had no clue where they were, only realizing more and more that he was completely out of it.

I'll go

eyes lit up instantly, hope flashing through

"What?" he said, surprised.

blinked in disbelief-seriously? In

"Mr. Henderson..."

over, but he suddenly dropped her hand, staring bleakly

find it," he

damp hair clung to his forehead; even the corners of his eyes seemed misty, his cheeks flushed a

"I'll look. But if I can't find any in ten minutes, I'm coming back. You're too sick

hummed a soft reply. The snow was falling fast now, blanketing everything in

took

the woods, but after a few

car and tapped lightly on the

it down. His face was still flushed with the fever, and his hair whipped around from the cold

to fake it-wander a bit and grab something random to bring

just one look at him shattered that

heart of winter, he looked like some feral, red-draped spirit-fragile, powerful, and

he

pity

a response, she marched into

ten minutes of wading through the. snow there it was-a

were magnolias. They burned bright against the ghostly white of

in disbelief before

the delicate bloom, a rush of fragmented memories tore through

cave, two children clung to

with tremor. She instinctively glanced around, then moved toward a direction that

65 feet, she spotted a hollow