---- Chapter 10 I cried like the world was splitting open inside me, and Leon held me tight. He kept whispering into my ear, again and again, "Don't cry. I'm here. I'll always be here for you." Then suddenly, I pushed him away. "Do you love me?" I asked. He froze. ''Yes." "Then let's be together." In this war-torn country, with explosions always just a breath away, I didn't want his feelings to remain unsaid. I didn't want either of us to leave this place with regret. Thad never truly been in love before. The moment he heard me, he wrapped his arms around me again, trembling with emotion. ---- But before we could linger, someone called out. More wounded. We wiped our tears and split up-rushing back to different battlefronts, different lives to save. In that blur of motion and urgency, I forgot about Dennis. Forgot everything except the hands I could still hold, the lives I might still save. That day, after a rare moment of quiet, our coworkers gathered wildflowers for us. They said they wanted to hold a wedding. "We'll be heading somewhere even more dangerous next," one of them said. "We don't want either of you to have regrets." So, among the wounded and those who'd fought beside us, we had a simple wedding ceremony. Leon kissed me and whispered, "Anna, I'll love you forever." Someone snapped a photo, and I posted it online. ---- Then I gave him the gold locket to keep him safe. Just then, my friend called. She sounded amused. "T've got a funny story for you," she said, laughing. "On the day of Dennis and Scarlett's wedding, neither of them showed up. Scarlett ran off to another city with his money. And Dennis? He left the country. I swear, I've never seen a more ridiculous wedding." I listened quietly, then said one thing. "Ruby, cherish your time. Cherish the people around you." Leon and I continued working in the field. Ever since the wedding, I barely saw him. He was stationed on one end, and I was sent to the other. That day, I had just finished saving someone, soaked in sweat and reaching for water, when I