Lia

I found Simone exactly where I expected—at the hotel, twirling a lock of her hair around her finger like she didn’t have a care in the world. The second she spotted me, her face lit up.

“There you are!” She pushed off the fence and walked toward me. “I was starting to think you ditched me.”

“I thought about it,” I admitted, trying to keep my voice light, but the weight in my chest wouldn’t budge. “Sorry we’ve been spending so much time in that abandoned city. We need to stay there so I can figure out everything I need to figure out.

Her smile faded as she got...