Page 29 of Fallen Empire

It was infuriating. And comforting. And... terrifying.

Ben slid the stool out and sat down beside me. I didn’t have time to think about how close he was.

I stabbed my fork into the pasta, twirling the fettuccine tight and shoving a huge bite into my mouth.

The second the creamy sauce hit my tongue, a sound clawed its way out of my throat—low, primal, unfiltered. God, I was starving.

I was already mid-twirl for the next bite when Ben’s hand gently caught mine, halting me mid-motion.

“Mills,” he said, his voice soft but firm. “Slow down. As much as I want you to eat, I also don’t want it coming back up ten minutes after you’re finished.”

I nodded, cheeks full, chewing faster than necessary like I could make up for how wrecked I felt with food alone. Like fullness could fill all the places inside me still cracked open.

He didn’t let go of my wrist right away.

Not until I met his eyes.

Then he loosened his hold, not breaking the gaze.

And just like that, everything tightened again. My chest. My gut. The air between us.

He looked at me like he wanted to say something. Like he wanted to do something.

Instead, he reached for his fork and cleared his throat.

“After you’ve taken a nap and rested for a while,” Ben said quietly, “we’ll head back to the hospital.”

I froze mid-bite, fork suspended in the air. “I’m not sleeping while my best friend is clinging to life,” I said, sharper than I meant to.

Ben didn’t flinch. “Mills—”

“I’m going back once we’re done eating.”

His jaw tightened. “You can’t keep running on fumes.”

“I can sleep in the chair beside her. Just like I have for days.”

His expression shifted. Barely, but I noticed. The tension between us pulled tight like a wire.

“Damn it, Mills,” he snapped, voice low but hard. “I know she’s your best friend. But you need rest too.”

I stood, pushing the stool back with a scrape.

“Don’t tell me what I need. You think I’ll just nap it off while she’s—”

“I never said that,” he growled, cutting me off. “But you can’t help her if you collapse. I’m not asking you to abandon her. I’m asking you to take care of yourself.”

“Iamtaking care of myself,” I shot back. “By staying close. By not checking out when she needs me.”

My chest was heaving. His eyes were wild. We were both unraveling.

Then, without a word, he moved.

His mouth crashed into mine so hard I gasped. One hand clamped around my jaw. The other slid into my damp hair and gripped tight. His lips were fierce and unapologetic, and for a second, all I could do was hold on.

I didn’t expect it. Didn’t prepare for the heat that roared up my spine or the sound that escaped my throat.

It wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t sweet.