Avery's eyelids fluttered against the glare of a ruthless sun. Heat clawed through the half-drawn curtains, dragging her from sleep's feeble grip. A smirk played across her lips, a plan already simmering in her mind.

She snatched her phone from the nightstand, thumb-jabbing at Xavier's contact like a promise of chaos. She dialed his number, but the call failed. A beep, then silence. She tried again. Same damning beep. Frustration knotted in her chest; she tossed the device aside.

"Fuck this," Avery hissed under her breath, the words sharp and bitter.

She got up and went into the bathroom. The room echoed with the hiss of running water as she...