LAUREN'S POV

I woke up just in time, blinking slowly as the ceiling came into view. There was no alarm clock here to jolt me out of sleep, and if I had slept any longer, Elena would have missed school. My hand reached out automatically to the nightstand, fumbling for my phone. When the screen lit up, it showed 5:30 a.m.

Quite early, some might say — but given how long it usually took me to get Elena’s things in order, it felt like the perfect time.

I carefully slipped out of bed, ...