Still. That’s a lot for one person.
King:
It was. Still is sometimes.
I stare at the screen longer than necessary.
Ivy:
For what it’s worth… I think your siblings are lucky to have you.
King:
Thanks, Ivy.
She sends a small heart emoji. I know she is not being flirty. We hardly know each other and she isn’t the type. She is just being kind.
I set the phone down and stare up at the ceiling, my chest tight in a way I don’t quite recognize.
And the thought hits me hard and uninvited—
Ivy is way too good for me.
3
IVY
Midnight Messages
By the time I’m done for the day, I’ve given up on finding my phone. I drive home to my tiny apartment, exhausted, frustrated, and very much phoneless. I collapse onto the couch and stare at the ceiling, wondering how my first day could have gone so spectacularly wrong.
At least it can’t get worse.
I manage to distract myself for a bit—shower, leftovers, mindless pacing—anything but sitting still with my thoughts. The knock on my door comes at seven p.m., right as I’m debating whether crying into a pint of ice cream qualifies as a coping strategy.
Sloane stands in the hallway, wild curls doing their own thing like they haven’t seen a comb in weeks.
She’s holding my phone.
“You,” she says, grinning like a Cheshire cat, “are not going to believe this.”
My heart leaps. “You found it! Where was it?”
“A man called me.” She steps inside, still grinning. “A very handsome man. His voice is deep and sexy. His looks are a hundred percent. He probably has abs that you can grate cheese on…”
“Sloane. Focus.”
“Right, right.” She hands me the phone. “Apparently, he found this outside the facility—said it was lying on the sidewalk or something—so he called to arrange a pickup.”
Outside the facility? Did I go outside and drop my phone there? That doesn't make sense. But maybe I'm misremembering. The whole morning is a blur of embarrassment.
“Did he say anything else?”
She shrugs.
“Just that he wanted to make sure it got back to you safely.” Her grin turns wicked. “Oh, and he called himself ‘King.’”
“King?”
