(Ashley)
I woke up before my alarm.
The room was still dark. Vaughn was in the other room. He had gone to bed late. I had heard him moving around in the living room for a while after I turned in but I had not gotten up to check.
I lay there for a moment staring at the ceiling.
Then I got up.
I went to the bathroom and turned the shower on. Stood under the water and let it run. I was not thinking about anything in particular. Just standing there. Letting the morning come in at its own pace.
That was new for me.
Most mornings I woke up with everything already moving in my head. Vaughn. Sloane. The hospital. The warning in my file. All of it starting up before I was even fully awake. Like my brain never actually stopped, just waited until my eyes opened to pick up where it left off.
B
