“Amber, what happened?” I demanded, my voice trembling with a mix of panic and anger. She opened her mouth to speak, but the words seemed to stick in her throat. I could see the panic in her eyes, the facade of control slipping away.

“It was just a prank,” she muttered finally, her voice weak. “Just a bit of fun to see if he could handle a little scare…”

A prank. My blood boiled at the word. How could she be so careless? So thoughtless? But before I could lash out, the sound of sirens filled the air, and within moments, paramedics were at Caleb’s side, assessing him with calm efficiency.