She hugged him tighter as she wept, breaking his heart and mixing his sense of relief with guilt.

' I should have found her earlier; she must have been so scared', he said in his mind, engulfing her in his arms tighter.

" I'm here now; I won't let anything happen to you", he whispered to her.

She couldn't find any word to say, but her heart was filled with gratitude, the joy that he did come for her, and guilt that she wasn't there when he needed her.

" I'm sorry, I'm sorry, Christian", she said burying her face in his neck.

" Don't say that, don't".

He broke...