Chapter 1

My lease was up, so I moved in with my best friend and her boyfriend.

But not long after we started roommates, they got into a terrible car accident. Her boyfriend ended up paralyzed from the waist down after saving her life. Instead of staying, my best friend packed her bags, dumped him on me, and ran off in the middle of the night.

Faced with a paralyzed, helpless man, I decided to stay and look after him for a while. But living alone together—especially having to help him use the bathroom—was enough to make my heart race and my face burn red...

"Babe, why are you still stressing about finding a place? Just move in with me and my boyfriend!"

Amber’s suggestion made me hesitate. While I loved the idea of living with my best friend so we could look out for each other, sharing an apartment with her boyfriend felt like it might be a bit awkward.

My lease was ending, and I had spent two fruitless weeks searching for a decent apartment. When Amber found out, she told me they had a spare bedroom and practically begged me to move in.

They rented a nice two-bedroom apartment. She had brought up the idea before, but I had declined, not wanting to be a third wheel. Now, backed into a corner by the rental market, I had no choice but to accept.

When I agreed, both Amber and her boyfriend welcomed me with open arms. Her boyfriend, Austin, was tall, athletic, and incredibly handsome—he looked a bit like Jacob Elordi.

He worked as a youth basketball coach at a local sports club. His hours were flexible, and he was an amazing cook. Whenever he was home, he’d always whip up delicious meals and invite me to eat with them.

Amber worked as a receptionist at a local firm. The pay wasn't great, but the job was easy and stress-free. Although they had to budget carefully, they were happy and full of hope for the future.

Seeing my best friend with such a great guy made me genuinely happy for her. I couldn't help but feel a little envious, wondering when I would find my own Mr. Right.

But our peaceful life didn't last long. An unexpected tragedy completely derailed everything.

About four months after I moved in, I was out shopping when my phone rang. It was Amber.

"Chloe, Austin and I got into a car accident. We’re at the hospital right now!"

My heart skipped a beat. I gripped my phone tightly, panic rising in my chest. "What? An accident? Which hospital? Are you guys okay?"

"We're in the ER at Mercy Hospital. Our IDs and health insurance cards are in our bedroom drawer. The front door is unlocked. Can you please bring them over?"

"Yes, yes, of course! I'm on my way."

I hung up and rushed home as fast as I could. I ran into their bedroom, found their documents in the drawer, and dashed to the hospital.

When I reached the ER, the nurse told me, "They’ve just been transferred to a ward. Since you're here, could you go to the front desk and help them with the admission paperwork?"

"Sure, I'll go right now. Nurse, how bad is it?"

The nurse stopped what she was doing and sighed. "The girl is fine. Just minor scrapes. We'll keep her for observation today, and she can go home tomorrow. The guy, however, is in bad shape. His legs took a severe impact. He has no sensation in them. There's serious nerve damage, and he'll likely be paralyzed from the waist down. He might spend the rest of his life in bed."