LAUREN'S POV
I was having a very nice dream — one of those rare peaceful ones where nothing hurts, and for a moment I could almost believe life was the way it used to be when my bedroom door suddenly swung open without warning. The loud creak and slam startled me so much that I flinched under the covers.
Before I could even protest, Tessa appeared in the doorway, balancing a tray in both hands. The aroma hit me instantly — freshly baked bread and scrambled eggs, still warm, drifting into my nose and pulling me out of my dream like a hook pulling a fish from water.
“Wake up, sleepy head! I made you breakfast,” Tessa announced with that stubborn cheerfulness she uses whenever she’s trying to lift my mood whether I like it or not. She walked straight over to my bed like she owned the plac
