Stella's POV

Alexander wouldn't stop talking about how impulsive I'd been today, then launched into a lecture about how I shouldn't have left before the doctor officially discharged me. I stared out the window, trying to steady my breathing and ignore the throbbing in my arm. Especially in my knee, where the most annoying scrape was starting to burn now that the adrenaline had worn off. The sleeve of my shirt was stained with dried blood.

Alexander kept one hand on the steering wheel and the other resting on the gearshift, but I could feel his eyes on the side of my face as he spoke.

"You really should have waited to finish your treatment," he said, turning onto a shortcut. "What if you needed more tests? You could've hit your head or something."

I took a deep breath, avoiding his gaze.

"I couldn't."

"Couldn't, or didn't want to?" He frowned. "I still don't understand why we rushed out of there like that."

I looked down at my own hands, trembling slightly, and swallowed h