My heartbeat kicks up, pounding too loud in my chest.
But then she blinks and it's gone — replaced by a small, wobbly smile.
She exhales softly. "I... uh... I actually got a call. From Dr. Wilcott."
Everything in me stills.
My breath freezes halfway out.
She gives me a tearful little smile — the kind she uses when she wants to protect me from bad news, which only makes the panic ricochet harder in my chest.
"She said I'm still cancer-free."
"You—what? Really?!"
She nods quickly, eyes shining.
"She went over everything," Sam says, voice shaking just a little. "All the labs, all the scans. Everything came back clear. The only thing off was my iron — I'm a little anemic, but she said that's normal for me and I just need supplements and, you know... to stop sleeping four hours a night."
I don't hear anything after that.
Because the second those words leave her mouth —cancer-free— it feels like a thorn finally gets yanked out of my chest.
All at once.
I don't even realize I'd been holding my breath until it comes out in a shaky rush.
"Oh my God," I whisper, and then I'm hauling her across the console, crushing her into me. My arms wrap around her so tight she squeaks, but I can't loosen my grip. Won't.
I bury my face into her shoulder, eyes stinging.
"Thank God," I breathe out. "Thank God... thank God..."
Sam hugs me back just as tight, her hand fisting in my shirt.
"I told you I'd be okay," she murmurs.
I pull her in even closer, refusing to let go.
Sam is fine.
She's okay—cancer-free.
And I'm pretty sure my heart just restarted itself.
CHAPTER forty-nine
CAROLINE
The piano track echoes through the studio—soft at first, then swelling into the sweeping strings of our pas de deux. The mirrors are fogged with heat. Rosin dust coats the marley. And I'm sweating through my tank top like I just ran the Miami marathon barefoot.
Two hours of nonstop rehearsal will do that.
Adam's breathing matches mine—loud, sharp, focused—but there's determination behind every exhale. He wipes his damp hair out of his eyes and nods toward me, already sliding back into position.
"You good?" he asks, chest heaving.
I tighten my pointe shoes and roll my ankles once, twice. "Yeah. My legs are shaking, but that's normal at this point."
