Zayne barely spoke on the drive home. His phone lit his face in the dark as he scrolled and tapped, then scrolled again. I held the box on my lap, still processing how I ended up with it. The city slid by in fragments. Neither of us filled the quiet.
When the driver pulled up to my building, Zayne said, “Goodnight,” his eyes still on the screen.
“Goodnight.”
I stepped out, and the car drifted back into traffic, its taillights fading into the night.
Inside, Jesse was on the floor with a controller in his hand and headphones around his neck. He looked up and grinned. “Hey, celebrity.”
“Hi,” I said, forcing a tired smile. “Don’t stay up too late.”
He laughed. “I should be saying that to you.”
I went straight to my room, showered, and changed into my sleepwear. I lay there, staring at t
