Elena's POV

My alarm went off at 7:00 a.m.

I reached for my phone with a groan, blinking against the thin strip of sunlight sneaking through the curtains. For once, I didn’t wake up bracing for something. My chest felt… light.

Sunday had been good. I had brunch with Maya where she'd grilled me about the date until I was blushing into my mimosa, then met up with Damien in the evening before heading home late.

I turned onto my side and finally unlocked my phone.

A message was ...