Brandon slowly opened his eyes to the sharp sting of antiseptic, staring up at a stark white ceiling. He lifted a hand to rub his temple, only to feel the tug of an IV needle in his skin.
"Awake?" A cold female voice came from the right side of his hospital bed. He turned to see Ashley, arms crossed, her carefully drawn brows furrowed, lips pressed into a tight line. "Real impressive, Brandon. Drinking with those deadbeat friends until you're bleeding internally. How old are you again?"
"And those wolves?" she continued, her voice sharp. "They're useless to you. What are you even doing, hanging so tight with them? Why do you keep wasting your time on pointless s**t? Do you ever think about our future?"
Brandon's throat burned, dry as sandpaper. His gaze drifted to the water glass on the
