Zinnia drifted in and out of sleep, her head resting against the arm of the couch. The ticking of the clock was steady, almost hypnotic, but it did little to calm the restless thoughts swirling in her mind.
It was silly, she thought, to miss someone this much when they had only been apart for a few hours. But that was how things had changed between them. Aside from James, when he went missing, she wasn't used to this—this feeling of longing, of wanting to be near someone, of worrying when they weren't around.
Her phone buzzed softly, and she jolted awake, her heart racing. She fumbled to pick it up, hoping it was Samuel. But it was just a message from her curator, a casual chat that could wait until tomorrow. Disappointed, she put the phone back down and pulled the blanket tighter around her.
