"But…"
"Annabelle." Lily's voice was firm. "The lists can wait."
Annabelle wanted to argue, but she was so tired. Bone-deep tired in a way that sleep didn't seem to fix anymore. So instead she just nodded and watched as Lily moved around her kitchen with familiar ease, pulling out ingredients and chattering about something that had happened at school that Annabelle only half-heard.
She looked back down at her list. So many things still to do. So many ways this could go wrong.
What if all her effort wasn't enough? What if she couldn't actually fix anything?
She took a breath and reminded herself of what she'd always believed: if you looked for the brightness, you'd find it. Thefundraiser would be wonderful. The library would be saved. Everything would work out.
It had to.
LATER THAT NIGHT, after Lily had fed her shepherd's pie and forced her to promise to get at least seven hours of sleep, Annabelle lay in bed staring at the ceiling.
She should be exhausted. She was exhausted. But her mind wouldn't stop spinning through tomorrow's tasks, next week's preparations, all the things that could go wrong.
Jamie's withdrawn little face kept appearing in her thoughts. The way he'd looked when she'd told him the buddy system was ending. Had she made the right choice? Had she helped him at all, or had she just made everything worse?
And Raven. Raven who was helping with the fundraiser despite the paparazzi, despite the tabloids, despite everything. Raven who'd taught Jamie guitar and made him smile. Raven who was somehow becoming…
Becoming what?
Annabelle rolled over, punching her pillow into a better shape. She was too tired to think about this now. Too tired to examine the complicated feelings that seemed to be tangling themselves around her heart whenever she thought about her grumpy, impossible, surprisingly kind neighbor.
She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If she looked for the brightness, she'd find it. That's what she always told herself. That's what had gotten her through every difficult moment in her life.
If she just kept looking for the brightness, everything would be fine.
She was about to drift off when she realized something.
The house was quiet.
Too quiet.
Annabelle opened her eyes, frowning slightly. Usually by this time of night, she could hear Raven next door, the distant sound of guitar, the low thump of bass through the walls. It had become oddly comforting, actually. A reminder that someone else was awake, working, creating.
But tonight there was nothing.
Complete silence.
She sat up slowly, listening. When was the last time it had been this quiet? Raven always played at night. Always. It was practically a guarantee at this point. Even on the nights when Annabelle was dead tired and just wanted to sleep, there was always music drifting through the walls.
But not tonight.
Nothing.
Annabelle felt her heart start to race, a cold prickle of fear running down her spine. What if something was wrong? What if Raven was hurt?
She tried to shake off the thought. This was silly. Raven was fine. She was probably just having a quiet night. Maybe she'd gone to bed early. Maybe she was reading. Maybe she'd decided to give Annabelle a break from the noise for once.
But the silence pressed in on her, wrong and unsettling.
What if it wasn't fine? What if something had actually happened?
Nina's photo had gone viral, everyone knew where Raven was staying now. What if some crazed fan had tracked her down? What if someone had shown up at her door? What if Raven was in trouble?
Annabelle's mind spiraled through increasingly horrible possibilities. An intruder. A stalker. Someone from the press who'd gotten too aggressive. Raven was famous, and fame came with dangers that Annabelle had never had to think about before.
