Annabelle ignored the message and went back to bed. She hadn’t found what she was looking for, but there was no point staying up any longer.
But as soon as she stepped into the room, she froze.
Derek was awake, sitting up with his back straight, his unseeing eyes directed toward the door as if he’d been waiting.
“Annabelle,” his voice was steady but firm. “What’s wrong?”
She hesitated. Could he tell? Her face must have given her away. Or maybe it was the fact that she wasn’t in bed when she should be.
“I’m fine,” she said quickly, slipping under the covers. “I thought I could figure out that word again, so I got up to continue my research.” She sighed, feeling the exhaustion settle in. “And…I was worried about my mother.”
Derek’s expression didn’t change, but his fingers twitched sli
