Half an hour later, she was lying in bed, imagining that she could hear Ziya’s slow, measured breaths as she slept in the other room.
“Amie?”
Or, as she also lay awake in the other room.
“Yeah?”
“Who do you think sent the photos?”
“I don’t know.” Amie sat up in bed, grabbing her phone and pulling up the email. “I got so caught up in the Benny thing, I didn’t even think about who sent them. Maybe I can check the metadata … that would at least tell us what kind of phone it was taken on …”
She saved the first photo to her camera roll, then opened her photos app and swiped up on the image.
“Did you find anything?”
Amie jumped. Ziya was standing in the doorway, one shoulder hidden by the door frame as if she wasn’t fully committing to entering yet.
“No.” Amie referenced her phone again. “I think any data about the photo got wiped when it was emailed. Either that, or the sender really knows how to cover their tracks.”
“Can I see?”
Amie held out her phone as an invitation. Padding across the room, Ziya took the phone from her, sitting on the end of the bed. Amie pulled her knees to her chest, watching Ziya analyze the photo.
“Hm. Yeah. Nothing there,” Ziya confirmed, handing the phone back to Amie. She folded her hands in her lap, looking around the darkened room.
Amie locked her phone and returned it to her bedside table, looking at Ziya with amusement. “So … what’s up?”
Ziya looked at her. For a moment it seemed like she debated feigning ignorance. Then her expression shifted into a grimace. “Your couch is incredibly uncomfortable.”
Amie laughed. “I know.”
“I don’t remember it being so uncomfortable. Was it always that bad?”
“I think it turns evil at night. I really do.” Amie scooched over, silently patting the other side of the bed.
“Thank you,” Ziya said, sounding relieved. As she returned to the living room to retrieve her pillow, Amie grabbed one of her pillows and stuffed it under the sheet in the middle of the bed.
Ziya reentered, clutching the pillow to her chest. “Actually, I need that side.”
“Why?”
She huffed. “I’m supposed to be protecting you. It’s gonna be harder to stand between you and a murderous landlord if I’m the furthest from the door.”
“Fine,” Amie grumbled, relocating.
“What’s this?” Ziya patted the extra pillow as she climbed into bed.
“You know what that is.”
“I mean, a pillow, duh. But what’s it doing here?”
“It’s a … y’know. A boundary.”
“A boundary.”
“Yes.” Amie moved her arm to indicate the tall, invisible wall signified by the existence of the pillow. “Boundary wall. You stay on your side, I’ll stay on mine.”
Ziya snorted. “Did you think I was gonna jump your bones unless you put a single pillow between us?”
