(William’s POV)
I couldn’t tell how long I’d been lying there, but when I finally woke, the memories I had tried to drown in wine came rushing back, in a heavy and accusing manner.
My eyes opened to the sharp brightness of the early afternoon sun piercing through the transparent curtain, each beam slicing into the haze that hung over my head.
The room reeked of bitter, stale alcohol, which clung to the air like sweat after an indefinite run. My tongue felt coated, and my throat was slightly sore.
When I shifted, the stinging stab in my temples nearly knocked me back into the hollow clutches of sleep.
The glass I had dropped before fainting on the chair still glinted on the floor, its jagged edges reflecting the sun in undesirable shards.
A dark stain of amber spread across the mar
