Evelyn woke with a sharp, breathless groan tearing from her chest.
Her body jerked upright as if yanked from sleep by invisible hands, heart racing, and skin clammy. For a split second she forgot where she was, only that something was terribly wrong. A wave of nausea surged up so violently it stole the air from her lungs.
“No,” she whispered, already scrambling out of bed.
She barely made it to the bathroom before her knees hit the cold tile, and she retched into the lavatory, fingers gripping the porcelain as if it were the only thing keeping her upright. Her stomach convulsed again and again, each heave hollow and burning, until tears streamed down her cheeks and her throat ached raw.
Her body shook uncontrollably.
When it finally eased, she sagged forward, her forehead resting agai
