Caleb's POV
Consciousness returned slowly, accompanied by the steady hum of an engine beneath me. My eyelids felt heavy as lead, and when I finally managed to force them open, the world swayed and blurred around me.
I was sprawled across the backseat of a moving vehicle, every muscle in my body screaming in protest.
"Stop the car," I croaked, my throat raw and burning. "Pull over now."
The brakes shrieked as Paisley slammed them hard enough to send me sliding forward. Pain exploded through my damaged knees, and I bit back a curse.
"Caleb! Thank God you're conscious," Paisley's voice trembled as she twisted around to look at me. Her face was pale, streaked with tears and exhaustion. "I thought... I was so scared you wouldn't wake up."
I struggled to push myself upright, fighting waves of nausea that threatened to drag me back under. "What happened? How long have I been out?"
