LAUREN'S POV

I switched on my phone and saw it was already past midnight. The street was quiet except for the distant hum of a generator somewhere in the neighborhood and the occasional bark of a stray dog.

My heart felt heavy, but I forced myself to keep breathing, to stay calm for Elena’s sake.

Would she be able to make it?

I asked myself for what felt like the hundredth time. A few minutes ago, I had been on the brink of panic, wondering where Elena and I were going to sleep tonight. ...