|Javier|
I woke with a jolt, the first thing greeting me not sunlight, but a stabbing throb at the side of my head. My palm flew instinctively to my temple, fingers pressing hard as if I could squeeze the pain away. Slowly, I pushed myself upright, the sheets tangling around my legs as if they wanted me to stay down. My throat burned—parched and raw—like I had swallowed sand in my sleep. All I could think of was water. Ice-cold, crisp water sliding down my throat.
The room was cloaked in shadows, curtains drawn tight, but after a moment, my eyes adjusted to the dim. Blinking against the ache in my head, I turned toward the nightstand where my alarm clock sat. One glance at the red digital numbers and my heart nearly stopped.
Past ten.
Past. Ten.
“Sh*t,” I hissed under my breath, panic
