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Unwilling to get into it when I’d only just pulled myself out of it, I kept my expression neutral and moved past him.

“Any hot water left?” he asked.

“Yes—and it’s glorious.” I grabbed a bottle of water from the table and forced a smile.

His attention remained on me, steady and patient, not pushing but not exactly letting it go either.

I cracked the lid and took a sip, avoiding his eyes. None of it was worth talking about, and I wasn’t special. We were all going through the same thing, and as far as I could tell, it wouldn’t be ending anytime soon.

“All right,” he said finally, straightening and reaching for the clothes he’d set aside. “I’ll be quick.”

“No rush. We’re not going anywhere.”

He stepped past me, close enough to brush against my arm. When he paused, my heart rate spiked, and I waited for him to ask questions, but he made himself keep moving down the hall.

My shoulders didn’t fully relax until the ensuite door closed.

Fourteen

luke

The mirror was fogged, and everywhere I looked, traces of Ava lingered. The heat hanging in the air. A strand of her long, dark hair stuck to the basin.

Damp footprints glistened on the tiles where her bare toes had been, and the scent of her shampoo wafted around me.

It was too much. The idea of stepping into the same space she’d occupied felt too intimate.

I stripped off fast and dived under the water, letting it rush over my face, my shoulders, washing away every thought other than the look on her face when she walked back into the lounge.

Something had been off with her, even if she’d tried to hide it. Even if she didn’t want to share it with me.

Funny how we had each other’s backs when it came to survival, but not this. Still, we barely knew each other. If she wanted to talk, she’d tell me.

I rushed through the cleaning process, and as soon as the water ran clear, I stepped out, eager to get back to Ava and Kirby.

When I returned to the living area smelling human again, Kirby was curled on her side on one of the two couches, her hair still damp, a blanket pulled up to her chin. Her eyes were closed, and a light snore escaped from her half-open mouth. Out already.

Ava sat opposite her on the other couch, one leg tucked underneath her, rolling a water bottle between her palms. Her eyes were clearer, and whatever had lingered before I left her seemed to have disappeared.

“Was that the best shower you’ve ever had?” she asked. “Tell me it wasn’t just me.”

“It was pretty good. The first one I’ve had in over three days.”

I’d finally been able to throw on fresh clothes for the first time since I boarded my flight, too. After today, I’d never underestimate the power of a clean pair of jeans, underwear, and a warm hoodie.

She leaned forward and set the bottle on the coffee table. “I wonder how many more hot showers we’ll get.”

I took the opposite end of Kirby’s couch, perching on the edge with my elbows resting on my knees. “Not many would be my guess.”

Ava sighed. “You couldn’t just lie to me?”

“Sorry. I bet this’ll blow over in a couple of days and everything goes back to normal.”

She flashed me a split-second grin that had my heart ticking faster. “That’s more like it.”

Kirby stirred beside me, burrowing deeper under her blanket.

“Did she eat before she crashed?”