Few days later....
Ava woke to the shrill sound of her phone ringing. The room was bathed in the faint glow of dawn, and for a moment, she was disoriented. She grabbed her phone from the nightstand, squinting at the caller ID. It was her landlord.
"Hello?" she answered groggily.
"Ava, there's been an incident," the voice on the other end was strained, laced with panic. "Your apartment building… there was a fire. It's—it's gone."
The words hit her like a punch to the gut. "Gone?" she echoed, sitting upright.
"Completely destroyed. The fire department is still investigating, but they think it was an electrical fault. You weren't home, thank God, but…"
Ava's heart sank as she stared at the wall, her mind racing. Everything she owned—her notes, her keepsakes, her life—was reduced to ashes. She muttered a thank you and hung up, her chest tightening with the realization.
She didn't have much time to process before her phone buzzed again. This time, it was Alexander.
"I heard about your apartment," he said, his voice calm but laced with concern. "Are you alright?"
She hesitated, her instincts telling her to keep some distance. But her current reality offered no such luxury. "I'm fine. Just… overwhelmed."
"Where are you staying tonight?"
The question made her pause. She hadn't thought that far ahead. "I— I'll figure something out."
"You'll stay with me," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument.
"Alexander, I can't—"
"You can. And you will," he interrupted, his tone softening slightly. "I won't let you go through this alone."
Reluctantly, she agreed. As much as she didn't want to depend on him, she couldn't deny the comfort his offer brought in the chaos.