Chapter 534 +25 BONUS

I heard about Jace’s car accident two hours later—Wayne was the one to break the news. “Rea, Jace was in an accident,” he said, his voice tight with worry. “He’s in surgery… Can you come to the hospital?”

My hand started shaking, and before I knew it, my phone slipped right out of my grip and crashed onto the floor. Wayne must’ve heard the thud. “Rea, are you okay? What happened?”

Lena was in the kitchen, cooking, but at the sound, she rushed over, eyes wide with concern. Wayne’s voice came through again. “Rea, we’re not asking you to come for, like, a blood transfusion or anything. We just thought… maybe you’d want to see him. Because…”

He hesitated. “Because when they put him in the ambulance, the only name he was calling out was yours.”

Lena shot a look at the phone, then back at me, and picked it up without missing a beat. “Jace and Keira are over. She doesn’t need to hear this.”

Silence from Wayne, and then Lena hung up. She sat down next to me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “Unreal,” she muttered. “After all they’ve put you through, they still think you’d just come running for him.”

I mumbled, “It’s my fault, though… the things I said to him…”

Lena had no idea what I’d said to Jace in the heat of our last conversation, so she was a little confused. She didn’t push. She just kept her hand on my shoulder, her voice soft. “Hey, don’t overthink it. This isn’t your fault, so don’t go blaming yourself.”

I didn’t go to the hospital, but the worry wouldn’t let up. I hated the Johnstons. I hated Jace. But the idea of him actually dying? That scared me. If he was gone, I wouldn’t even have the right to hate him anymore.

Ever since finding out the Johnstons were behind my parents’ deaths, I’d felt lost, like my mind was spiraling with too much to process but no clue what to do. I wanted to visit my parents’ graves, but I hadn’t been able to face it. Because it was my fault they were gone.

“Rea, why don’t we visit Cloudscape Monastery?” Lena offered suddenly.

It was a good idea. I hadn’t been up there since Jace and I broke up. “You can find a little peace, and I’ll make a wish while I’m at it,” she said, trying to brighten my mood.

Luckily, she had the day off, and I was beyond grateful to have her with me. When we arrived at the mountain, we realized the recent rains had totally washed out the path.

Chapter 534 +25 BONUS

“Great. If we want to go up, it’ll take at least two hours hiking,” Lena said, sighing. The Johnstons had once funded the road up to the monastery, but now it was blocked. And still, I felt this weird pull to keep going.

With the summer heat, we were sweating after just a few steps. Hiking all the way up? A whole new level. “Rea, I might have to break our best-friend code here. I don’t think I can make it,” Lena admitted, throwing a defeated look at the mountain.

Then she turned toward the monastery’s peak, clasped her hands in mock prayer, and called out, “To any higher powers listening. I’m sending my request from down here. I don’t need wealth, and I don’t need a perfect life—I just ask for less sickness and pain in the world, and for every newborn to come into this world safe and sound.”

I stared at her, surprised by her wish. She noticed my expression and laughed. “What’s that look for?

“That’s your whole wish?” I asked. “Just that?”

“Yep, that’s it. What, you thought I’d wish for something else?” she replied, grinning.

I took a breath. “I thought… maybe you’d wish for something for yourself, or you and Nate.”

She laughed, bright and carefree. “Honestly? I’m pretty good right now. And as for Nate and me… I’m just letting things happen as they…”