Benny was turned away while trying to get into the back room at the bookstore, was Amie’s final text of the updates.He said he was looking for the bathroom, but now I’m wondering if he was looking for something else.
That makes SO much sense, Ziya replied.When he couldn’t look in the store, he went to look in Savannah’s apartment. SUSPICIOUS!!!!
Then again, Amie texted,it could just be that Savannah stole one of Benny’s packages. Like, that’s probably a more likely scenario than Benny murdering Savannah.
Or maybe he murdered her for stealing one of his packages, Ziya countered.
Must’ve been a pretty important package if that’s true.
Amie watched the three dots appear as Ziya began typing, then added,Don’t say anything about Benny’s important package.
The dots disappeared, then returned.You know me too well.
The university marching band hit a triumphant chord as Amie smiled to herself.
Halftime ended soon after when Ziya said her class was about to start. Amie was granted a final marimba trill when Ziya signed off with,I’ll text you later!
That had been several hours ago. There had been no new texts from Ziya in the interim. Amie wasn’t overthinking it.
Knock knock. Knock. Knock knock knock.
“Come i—”
“What would you define ‘later’ as?” Amie asked, barging into the apartment before David could finish granting her entry.
“I’ll need more context than that. Also, hello.” David was sitting cross-legged under his work table, setting up a ramp between two of the legs.
“Hi.” Amie knelt next to the table, grimacing as her left knee throbbed with pain. A bruise had begun to develop where she’d slammed it into the table the day before.
Once, during the time loop, Amie had badly sliced her hand while opening a can of chickpeas. She’d cleaned the wound, bandaged it up, and by the next day, there had been no sign of any injury. The rest of the day she kept touching the palm of her hand, having difficulty processing how something so painful could have disappeared so swiftly and completely.
It’d been a while since her body had been given enough time to develop a bruise or scar from an injury. She couldn’t honestly say she’d missed it.
Shifting into a squat, she said, “If someone says they’ll text you later, when would you assume that to be? Four hours later? Five? Six? Stop me when I get there. Seven? Whenever you’re ready.Eight?Please stop me.”
“Did you drink seven cups of coffee?” David asked. “You sound unwell.”
“Ziya said she’d text me later, but I don’t know when that is. Am I allowed to text her first?”
“By whose rules?” David countered.
“I don’t know!” Amie wobbled, trying to keep her balance. “Society’s! How much time should I let pass before I can text her again?”
“What do you want to text her about?”
“Oh mygod.” Her legs were beginning to ache, so Amie sat down on the floor. “Can you answer any of my questions not in the form of another question?”
“Would that make you feel better?”
“Now you’re just doing it on purpose.”
David chuckled, ripping a piece of duct tape off a roll. “You shouldn’t have to wait to text her. If you have something to say, just say it.” He handed her the roll of tape. “Rip off five more pieces for me, will you?”
Amie accepted the roll, frowning. “I don’t have anything specific to say,” she said, picking at the tape with her fingernail. “I just feel like we’re in a really good place right now, and I don’t want to lose that if she gets too busy and forgets about me.”
David snorted. “Yeah, okay.”
“What?”
