DAXTON

Everything hurt. The pain made it nearly impossible to concentrate in the meeting. It was my third meeting today, and I was barely holding on. Tyrone must've noticed it. He quickly asked the directors to summarize their proposals. Once they all left, I buried my face in my hands, taking deep breaths to calm myself.

"You could've just called in sick," Tyrone said, tapping my shoulder. I looked up and accepted the bottle of water he was holding out.

"Lying in bed doesn't ...