Freddy’s POV

I was roused by the noise of rain drumming on the window. The room had the aroma of freshly laundered linen, but beneath that was a subtle hint of antiseptic. A reminder that I had wasted too much time in this bed, allowing my body to recover as the world continued on without me.

The recent weeks had been a haze—discomfort, drugs, Aliana’s voice directing me whenever I wandered too far away. And now, for the first time in what seemed like ages, I was upright on my own ...