After that day, Alicia had been cooped up at home obediently for nearly a week—she'd even turned down Stella's latest invitation.
Then one morning, *Brrrt!* Her phone vibrated insistently on the nightstand, shattering the silence.
Still half-asleep, Alicia thrashed under the blankets before finally grabbing the device. With sluggish movements, she swiped the green answer button.
"*Ugh,* Alicia," she groaned into the phone, her voice thick with sleep. "Have you forgotten what today is?"
The deep, commanding tone on the other end snapped her to attention.
Blinking sleep from her eyes, she checked the date before face-planting into her pillow with a dramatic whine. "Do I *have* to go?"
"What do *you* think?"
On the other end, Carlos arched a brow and slammed a file onto his desk. The a
