14
Ava tossed beneath her sheets while fragmented details of the evening played on repeat like a horrible taunt.
Mat? Who is it? She couldn’t knock the woman’s voice out of her head, but she preferred this to the image of herself: an imposing, foolish stranger standing in the cold. She knew the sharpness of her embarrassment would dull eventually – embarrassment followed rules too – but it would take time – hundreds of units, she estimated – and it kept her awake. Just as she finally fell into a deep, blank sleep, the sun broke in through her windows, and her head buzzed heavily as she fumbled through her morning routine: making coffee, brushing her teeth, dressing, and walking Brutus. It took her half a unit longer than usual.
Can I pick u up? Mat had texted her.
She ignored it, and s
