I sat in the corner of the room, a can of beer resting loosely in my hand.
After the call with Elara, I had a sudden desire to drink. I told myself a few cans would be enough to take the edge off.
It was already late at night.
At first, I had gone outside for it, but the atmosphere there had been unbearable—too many drunk people staggering around, shouting, doing things that only made my mood worse. So I came back inside instead.
The moment I cracked the can open, the sharp metallic hiss echoed unnaturally loud in the quiet room.
The sound stirred Alex.
He had been sprawled across his bed, sheets half kicked aside. He blinked drowsily, rubbed his eyes, and pushed himself upright.
"You're back?" His voice was thick with sleep.
"Yeah. And it's still night, so go back to sleep," I said flatly, lifting the can to my lips.
"As if I can sleep now," he muttered.
