Damiano’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tight his knuckles had turned white. The city blurred past him, neon lights streaking across his windshield, but he barely saw any of it.

He'd been looking for you for hours, driving down half the city, calling everyone you knew, checking every corner you used to walk together.

And nothing. Just empty streets. Empty answers.

Until his phone rang. A number he didn’t recognize.

"Hello?" he snapped, breathless.

"Mr. David? This is the police. We’ve located her."

His stomach twisted violently.

"Is she—" he couldn't even finish the sentence.

"She’s safe. She’s at St. Vincent’s Hospital. You should come."

He didn’t even hang up properly. Just threw his phone onto the passenger seat and slammed his foot down on the gas.

Damiano shoved through the entrance of the hospital, barely glancing at the reception. The nurse at the desk must have recognized the panic in his eyes because she just pointed silently down the hall.

He found you sitting on the edge of a hospital bed, wearing a set of too-big sweats they must've given you. Your hair was messy, your arms wrapped tightly around yourself.

There was a thin, shallow cut along your temple, bandaged hastily.

When you saw him, your eyes widened.

"Dami..." your voice cracked, barely above a whisper.

He didn’t wait. He crossed the room in two long strides and wrapped you up in his arms, pulling you against his chest like he was scared you might disappear again.

"Where the hell were you? What happened?" he muttered into your hair, voice shaking more than he'd ever admit. "You scared the shlt out of me, amore."

You clung to him like he was the only real thing in the world.

"I’m sorry," you mumbled against his jacket. "Someone tried to grab my bag... I ran... I didn’t know where I was... I got lost, and my phone—"

Damiano pulled back just enough to frame your face with his hands, forcing you to meet his eyes.

"You're safe now, okay? That's all that matters."

His thumbs brushed over your cheeks, wiping away the tears you didn’t even realize had started falling.

He leaned his forehead against yours, letting out a shuddering breath.

"Don’t ever disappear again," he whispered, voice raw, broken open with all the fear he hadn’t let himself feel until now. "Not ever."