CHARLOTTE

When I opened my eyes the next morning, I knew the meeting with Thiago I was hoping for wouldn’t happen, and this time it wasn’t because I was averse to seeing him. My body ached in places I didn’t know existed; it was hard to move without groaning in pain.

“What’s happening?” I said and placed a palm on my head to feel my temperature.

The room started to spin, and my mouth instantly became dry, leaving a bitter aftertaste when I swallowed. I sighed at how warm my forehead felt and tried to sit up, but my body had plans of its own. It had decided we weren’t...