I couldn't open my eyes, no matter how hard I fought. My eyelids felt like they'd been glued shut, swollen and heavy. I raised a trembling hand, rubbing at them with my fingers until, finally, the world blurred into view. The unfamiliar ceiling above me seemed to be spinning in slow, dizzying circles. I'd had hangovers before, but nothing like this.
I blinked repeatedly, trying to anchor myself as the room eventually stilled. I reached out to the side, my hand searching for the warmth of a body, but the space beside me was empty. The sheets were cold; she had been gone for a while.
A long sigh escaped my bruised lips. Memories started to flood back—dark, disjointed fragments of the night. I remembered regaining consciousness only to find Elara still draped over me, her weight pinning me down, her length still buried deep inside.
