"You won't be," Selena reassured. "I'll be right next to you. As you said, sometimes words are overrated, right? We don't have to be talking to enjoy each other's company."

"Okay, fair enough," I agreed. "Although just to be clear, I do enjoy talking to you."

"Likewise," Selena smiled. "But I'm gonna go ahead and shower and get ready for bed. If you want to get a head start on reading, I'll join you when I'm back out. You probably won't have made it to any of the really crazy parts by then."

"Sounds like a plan to me," I said, amused by the unexpected intensity of Selena's excitement.

In...