Riley

The sterile white ceiling of the campus infirmary was the first thing that drifted into my blurry vision, and the harsh smell of antiseptic hit my nose so fast it made my head throb with a dull, heavy ache. I tried to sit up but a sharp tug on my left arm stopped me, and I looked down to see an IV line taped to my skin while the steady beep of a heart monitor near the bed filled the quiet room.

Jayden was sitting in a plastic chair by the door, his chin resting against his chest as he snoozed, but the moment my boots shifted against the...