Page 24

ROWAN

The apartment was so quiet. I had noticed it before, when I came back from the hospital after the accident, but over time, the effect gradually became less shocking and stark.

A person could get used to almost anything.

So, though the apartment still was lacking Indigo’s warmth and presence, the silence had somewhat settled.

Until now.

Apparently, meeting people made me realize how empty my existence had become. Now it was just me and Tracker, and the apartment was a hollow, moaning chasm. Silence so loud it was impossible not to notice.

I hadn’t slept in our bed since the accident. I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. It was too big without her, too cold. The couch had started to shape itself to my prone body, but I woke up with back aches and sore muscles.

If I managed to catch any sleep at all.

I reached for my phone and woke the screen, a weak beacon of blue light in a vast, dark cave of a living room. The clock said 12:05am.

I swiped to my contacts. My thumbs were moving even before I registered what I was doing

Can’t sleep.

That was stupid. What desperate idiot randomly texts a woman they barely know? Especially after midnight. Only creeps, drunks and perverts–

Three little dots danced in the corner of my screen.

Skye

Me neither.

After I tamped down the shock that she actually replied, I started typing.

Turns out we have something in common then.

Skye

Seems like it.

How are the others handling my introduction?

I put my phone on the couch and switched on the television.

I was one of the few dozen people who still had a cable.

I kept trying to get Indigo to let me cancel it, cut the cord entirely, but she loved cheesy movies and scummy daytime talk shows, so she forbade me.

Now I didn’t have the heart to cancel. It seemed wrong.

Skye

It’s a lot. You’ve won over Halo, and I’m sure the others will see the light.

One out of three is a start.

My channel surfing paused and on screen, “Bite” Mark Maloni, the late night schlock movie host was just introducing the evening’s flick.

Hey, Bite Mark’s Midnight Movie is on channel 28.

I pressed send before logic hit me. Right away I tried to correct my stupidity.

LOL I forgot, no one but me has cable anymore. Ignore me.

Skye

Oh cool. We got cable when I was recovering. There’s something so real about aimlessly flipping through daytime television when you’re convalescing. Streaming doesn’t have the same feel to it.

Skye

brB.