Careless

Viviana's POV

Leonora woke up slowly, like someone surfacing from deep water.

For a terrifying second, I almost thought she wouldn’t.

I stood frozen beside the bed, my hands clenched so tightly together that my fingers hurt, afraid that if I moved, if I breathed too loudly, I might somehow disturb the fragile balance keeping her here with us.

Then her lashes fluttered.

A soft sound escaped my thr