Ada huffs, turning her back to me slightly. “Stop it. I can’t help it. He’s just—ugh, never mind.”
Before I can say anything else, the tension between us breaks. I burst out laughing, unable to hold it in anymore. It feels good, this moment of levity, of not taking everything so seriously for just a second.
Ada lets out a reluctant chuckle too, rolling her eyes as she turns back to face me. “If you ever tell a soul, I’ll bury you myself,” she says with mock seriousness, but there’s a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth.
I hold my hands up in surrender, still laughing. ‘‘I swear, your secret’s safe with me.’’
My eyes glint mischievously as I add, ‘‘Last time I checked, he was single though,’’ and wink at her.
She freezes for a moment, her eyes widening in surprise, and then I hear Ada’s voice rise in mock horror. “Isabella!”
We both burst into laughter, but after a few moments, the weight of everything from the day settles back in, and we both grow quiet. Ada shifts slightly, stretching as she lets out a small yawn. ‘‘Alright, enough. I’m done. I’m going to bed,’’ she says, pushing herself off the bed and standing up.
‘‘Don’t dream too much about him!’’ I call after her, teasing.
Ada shoots me a look over her shoulder, a smirk tugging at her lips. Without a word, she grabs a shoe from the ground and throws it in my direction. It lands on the bed next to me with a soft thud.
I laugh, but she’s already halfway to the door, pushing it open with a huff. ‘‘Goodnight, Isabella. And seriously, keep your mouth shut.’’
I chuckle, watching her close the door behind her with a soft click.
I roll over in bed and reach for my phone from the nightstand.
We’re meeting Dominik again at 8 AM. That gives me barely five hours of sleep. I set the alarm for 7 AM, already mentally preparing to feel like shit tomorrow.
That’s when I see it.
Notifications light up my screen.
Missed messages.
One from Mom. Of course. Another from Dr. Monroe. I’ll deal with them later.
Then—
A third notification.
Unknown Number.
Sevenmissed calls.
I stare at the screen, my heart thumping as the realization sinks in. Seven missed calls. The last one was about half an hour ago. Whoever it is, they’re persistent. I quickly tap the number and copy it from the screen, then send a message to Dominik without giving it a second thought.
This number has called me seven times. The last call was about half an hour ago. I don’t know who it is, but I thought you should know.
I sit back, feeling the weight of the moment settle over me as I wait for his reply. My fingers are shaking slightly, my mind racing with thoughts of who could be calling me at this hour. My stomach twists, but I force myself to stay calm.
The response is almost immediate.
I’ll track the call if I can. Don’t answer it when it rings.
I keep my phone close, glancing at the screen every few seconds, waiting for another message from Dominik.
The ten minutes stretch into what feels like hours.
Then, finally, my phone buzzes.
I almost jump out of my skin as I grab it.
