By Sunday evening, Arda was back in her off-campus home. The house was eerily quiet. Karina’s phone was still switched off, but Jacob had texted earlier to say he was on his way back from a party.
After showering, Arda settled on the living room sofa with a pillow, letting the smooth tones of jazz music from the television soothe her nerves. Her eyelids grew heavy, and before long, she drifted off to sleep.
The sound of the front door unlocking jolted her awake. Her heart jumped, but relief washed over her when Jacob stepped inside. She got up quickly and hugged him.
“Welcome back.”
“Thanks,” he said, flashing a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.
“Hope you’ve forgiven us?”
“Sure.” She stepped back, studying his face. “Where’s Karina? I’ve been trying to reach her, but her phone’
